The Benefits of Creativity in Your Self-Care Routine

I’m sure we can all think of a moment as a child when we were bursting with pride wanting to show off our “masterpiece” to somebody.  Whether it was a painting, a sandcastle, food or other creation. At that age, we didn’t second-guess our ability or question whether it was good or not, we just loved the fact that we created something.  It made us happy and we wanted to share that with everybody we knew. Unfortunately, as we get older, we are not always naturally connected to our creative side anymore. We start to judge ourselves, and we start to think we’re being judged.  We allow that to inhibit us from experiencing joy from being creative and being fearless of what we put out into the world. In this blog, we’re going to explore reconnecting with our creative side and why it’s important as part of our self-care routine.

 So let’s look at how you define being creative and see if maybe you need to redefine it in order to make it more approachable and comfortable for you.  When you mention being creative to somebody they may think of it a more “traditional” way, such as painting, dancing, or singing. These forms can be very intimidating and unapproachable for some people.   Creative can also be looked at through maybe more “every day” expressions - such as the meals that you cook, the jokes you tell, the way you decorate your house, or even your fashion choices each day. can be how you choose to be creative and how you express yourself and by consciously purposefully doing that you can then feel those benefits of expressing yourself creatively and making a part of your practice. Take a moment and think about where do you stand when it comes to being creative is it something you’re comfortable with is it something you feel like is out of reach based on either ability or time or is it something that you are currently practicing.   Maybe you can reframe some of the things you are already doing and look at them in a more creative way. Ultimately whatever you choose, it’s the fact that it makes you feel good and makes you happy that makes it part of self your self-care routine. 

Studies have shown that stress hormones such as cortisol can decrease after doing something creative and that even after we’re done creating something, that happiness will continue long after that actual activity. This is why we want to talk about being creative as a part of our self-care routine because it’s about not just what we create but the emotional benefits that lead to stress reduction.  Being creative also helps us to be more mindful and present at that moment. We have to slow down when we are being creative. These are typically activities that are hard to rush through. Taking on a creative activity can also help us to get to know ourselves a little bit better. Get to know your preferences and develop your sense of self, even if we’re not consciously thinking about it. We do that by picking certain colors, certain mediums (food, fitness, fashion, photo - it’s endless).  Where we find that joy is how we find who we are and what we like. Incorporating creativity into your self-care routine can be adventurous because there are no set rules. There’s not a silly or wrong way to express yourself when the sole purpose is to bring yourself joy and happiness. I know I’ve had my share of Pinterest fails, but to be able to laugh at yourself and have some fun with it is more the point, Often the end result is tangible - such as walking away with a painting, a healthier you, a food item or a photo.  To have that end result to look back at and to continue that happiness can be life-changing.  

So today’s takeaways are to look at what you think of when you think of being creative?  Do you see it is something relatable that you connect? If not can you re-look at something you are already doing? Over the next couple of podcast episodes, I’m going to be in the interviewing some people from various creative outlets to help you explore different ways to incorporate creativity into your self-care routine and make it part of your practice and part of the bliss in your busy.