Lip smacking reasons to get more creative – Part 1

Art can have many purposes such as telling stories, expressing values on beauty and environment. Historically it has helped artists identify with/or challenge religion and social oppression, as well as highlight power and status. For that reason, it can affect people on a personal level in many ways.

Misconceptions related to art are that it’s not worthy of making it a profession and not worth investing your time. For instance, it won’t bring in an income or it’s just for children. This simply isn’t true. Unfortunately, as we grow older we forget that we can be playful and other responsibilities take precedent. Research shows, that art can be beneficial for people in all stages of life and artistic talents can be developed if we practice.

Get in touch with that inner child!

Why shouldn’t we remember the joyful emotions we might have had creating our first piece of art when we were young? If bringing out our inner child helps us remember special moments that might be meaningful to us, like for instance when I tried to make my first clay bowl on a potters wheel, while my surrogate dad stood by to help. Why shouldn’t we have a renaissance to remember who we are and what we love to do?

Art is so much more than painting and can encompass wide ranging crafts, dance, creative writing, music, photos and even the digital process is recognised as art in arts establishments. It can be challenging when you hear that artists pay third parties to paint their dots like Damien Hirst, or create their tapestries like Grayson Perry. However, in essence this demonstrates again and again that art can be anything that allows us to use our creative skills and/or our imagination to express or evoke our own feelings.

Art allows a creator like Tracy Emin to not only express herself, but also to fully be herself. It can be used to liberate ourselves from emotional turmoil, such as depression, pain, or shame. Whether it be in the public, or private eye. Creativity can be rewarding and far reaching in so many ways. There is nobody to explain yourself to, it does not judge you. That’s the strength of the process.

The relationship between art and mental health

Creating art is becoming an increasingly popular way of improving personal well-being. A study undertaken by Age UK found that participating in creative activities had a link to a strong sense of well-being and physical health. It found that art is something which can make life worth living for many people and even those who had a low well-being benefited significantly from having something creative to do.

In one place of work, funded art therapy sessions, gave one individual back his speech when he hadn’t muttered a word for years. No other method had come near (Staff observation, Art Therapy, Mildmay Hospital, 2017). In the words of a recent teacher, humans are complex and their outlook on life is made up of multiple layers of experiences which are totally unique to them.

During the pandemic I have found the benefits of simple art activities like looming with bright beautifully coloured wool could truly raise my life state. The meaningfulness of making someone a scarf, or a hat as a gift left such an impression on me.

Join a digital activity

Are you interested in starting a new creative hobby or meeting like-minded people who enjoy similar interests? Head over our Digital Activities page page to find out more about our upcoming activities, don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions.