Get Creative and Discover Who You are: The Healing Power of Creativity
Maria Chiara’s view on the beneficial relationship between creativity and self-discovery
I will address each and every one of you now: raise your hand if you have engaged in some creative activity during the past month and have felt better after completing it.
Good.
I see some hands up.
It’s a start.
Ok, let’s get to it.
It is no surprise that creativity is beneficial to our mental health.
In terms of reducing depression or anxiety, and far as the processing of negative emotions and trauma is concerned: findings of a study published in the American Journal of Public Health demonstrate a connection between creative engagement and health outcomes. It is no coincidence that as children, during sessions with mental health professionals, we are usually given pencils and papers to express what words cannot. Creativity makes us better problem solvers. Better thinkers. It provides us with a sense of purpose.
However, there is more.
My experience has taught me that developing your creativity can get you in touch with your deeper sense of self in a way you have never experienced before.
No worries, I’ll give you some context.
Storytime:
I used to be a very insecure kid: I knew I was book smart, but that was pretty much it.
I did not know who I was.
Writing, drawing, playing music, were all activities that have always played a relevant role in my life. But I had never realized how they could lead me to shape my sense of identity.
When I properly started dedicating more time and more energy to them, I realized how much they played a role in enhancing my self-esteem.
The question then arises: how does this happen?
There is a connection between the conception of our own identity and creativity.
The creation process is mainly based on the exploration of our interiority and the elaboration of outside elements. These factors combined lead us to obtain unique results, which we shape according to our own being and how we perceive the world.
In short, we are projecting our inner self onto the outside world. We are freely expressing ourselves.
When you understand how this mechanism works, you can apply your creativity to the most disparate endeavours of your everyday life.
Starting is easy, even if you are not naturally creative:
You can embrace external stimuli and internalize them: sounds, visual inputs, even people surrounding you can be a fruitful source for inspiration. You can then take up simple activities: journalling, sketching, knitting…
But, look out:
Most times, we mistakenly assume that being creative is strictly connected to being artsy. We are often convinced that if you don’t master any art properly and don’t play any instrument or paint all day, you can’t define yourself as creative. Hence, we prevent ourselves from even trying.
Wrong.
It is a lot more nuanced than it seems.
Creativity can manifest itself in many forms.
It means coming up with creative solutions to everyday problems, developing wit and a good sense of humor, and combining unexpected ingredients to create delicious new recipes. It is about trying to connect the dots unexpectedly and unconventionally, exploring new alternatives.
We have a clearer idea of what we have within, of what we can offer to the outside world. the very moment we see the result of our creative mental process projected in the outside world,
The best part is…
When we are in the middle of the process of creating, we are our own judges. We make ourselves feel valid. At that moment, the opinion of our surroundings is only second to our internal validation. We don’t need any other benchmark: it’s just about you and your unique ideas.
These are the reasons why creativity heals.
It improves the relationship we have with ourselves while enhancing our self-esteem. It doesn’t simply make us feel better: as scientific studies show, it is key to our mental health.
Isn’t it a convincing argument to start applying your creativity to your everyday life?
Well, let’s start over.
I will repeat what I asked you at the beginning of the session.
“Raise your hand if you have engaged in some creative activity during the past month and have felt better after completing it.”
I know for sure: next time I will see more hands raising up.
