The Link Between Creativity and Mental Health (and Why It Matters)

Have you ever written in a journal to release an emotion? Made a playlist with songs that relate to what you are going through? Drawn out your feelings that were too difficult to put into words? 

Well, this is what you call tapping into your creative energy which improves your overall mental health.

Creativity and mental health actually go hand in hand.

Studies have shown that those who include creative activities in their day even when they aren’t skilled, but enjoy it, are happier than those who don’t. Releasing an emotion through a creative outlet helps us connect with what we are feeling or going through. 

What Defines Creativity and Makes A Creative Thinker?

“Creativity” is the process of generating ideas or concepts to communicate possibilities that may be useful in solving problems, communicating with others, and entertaining ourselves or others. 

Everyone expresses their creativity differently, which is why there is no definite answer as to what being creative truly means. The beauty of this term is that there are many ways to recognize it based on different outlets people may resort to.

We can express ourselves in infinite ways. Whether that is through writing, painting, or simply putting an outfit together, these are ways we feel we can freely be ourselves and communicate our thoughts without restrictions.

Now, let’s dive into the benefits of how exactly creativity can boost your mental health.

How Does Being Creative Benefit Your Mental Health?

Creativity Produces More Dopamine

As humans, it is essential to produce dopamine, the chemical that heightens motivation from achieving a goal. When we express ourselves creatively it allows us to fully be ourselves.

The more we feel rewarded, the more we want to continue the task. 

You may have heard of the term “creative flow.” This is when you feel yourself getting wrapped up in what you’re creating you lose track of time.

You may not be aware of it, but creative repeated behaviors like drawing, painting, listening to music, etc. can increase that feel good chemical, improving your overall mood.

Creativity Reduces Stress, Anxiety, and Depression

Finding a creative outlet can bring an individual much pleasure, no matter how simple it is. 

When you get into the groove of your creative outlet, it seems as if the rest of the world fades into the background. The Covid-19 pandemic has pushed many of us to explore different ways to pass time, thus tapping into various creative ventures. 

In order to feel freedom from being cooped up in our homes, we are encouraged to think more creatively and come up with different activities to reduce stress. 

By focusing on an activity that brings peace and contentment, you’ll feel less anxious about stressful events going on in your life.

Most of us face hardships in life that are not easy to talk about. Resorting to something like writing or listening to music that helps us understand our emotions by self-reflecting, help reduce symptoms of depression.

This can take you out of a "depressional funk.”

Improves Cognitive Behavior

Have you heard of the controversial theory of whether you are left or right brained?

Well this question refers to the theory that the left and right part of your brain serve different functions. 

The left is thought to be logical and analytical, aka the “rational” brain. The right on the other hand is known to process emotions, music, and creativity.

In actuality, these two work together in thinking of unconventional and “out-of-the-box” ideas. 

Without creative thinking, our minds would be a blank slate. As humans we need to create in order to survive or we would get stuck in our own ways. 

Yes, being creative can come from that “AHA!” moment where it may seem like it’s spontaneous, but majority of the time it takes cognitive effort – the need for knowledge and memory. This derives from the hippocampal and default mode network of the brain. 

Now that you have an idea of how creativity and mental health are linked, let's figure out how you can apply it to your everyday life.

So Why Does It Matter To You?

Expressing creativity comes easier for some and if you're somebody who feels discouraged when it comes to trying out new ways of being creative, now is the time to push outside of your comfort zone for the sake of your mental health.

You may even surprise yourself and be good at the creative activity!

The best part of finding a creative spark is that even if you decide to share it or not, it’s your art that no one can take away from you. You can do however you please and create however you want. 

Whether you’ve always wanted to play an instrument, paint, dance, or make a collage of random pictures from a magazine or online images, the idea of creativity is endless and shouldn’t restrict to just one activity. 

Creativity and mental health are linked not just in one, but many ways. The freedom to create is infinite really, whether it’s visual or performative.

This is the reason why many pursue the Arts or find creative outlets in their career/outside of their career.

To even find creativity in your day to day activities can boost your mental and physical health.

Find that thing you are absolutely eager to learn about, the thing that you lose yourself in, communicate your emotions when they cannot be spoken aloud and make it your work of art.

And if you need help coming up with ideas, here are some ways to spark your creative mind.

Written by Jade Mendoza