Can Creativity Improve Your Health?
Research shows that engaging in some form of creativity benefits our emotional, psychological, and physical health.
With the daily stress we experience in our personal and professional lives, finding a creative outlet is vital to maintaining peace of mind.
But what if you don’t have an artistic bone in your body?
Or maybe you used to be creative, but now you’re too tired, busy, and uninspired to do the things you love?
The good news: you don’t have to be a master artist to enjoy creativity in your life!
For years, my sister worked with hospice patients as a music therapist and my mother held impromptu music circles with kids in her special needs classroom. They were constantly amazed by the difference music made—nonverbal children sang with confidence and smiles, and elderly folks with dementia remembered favorite songs from their youth.
Art, music, and movement therapies have been well studied in the medical and mental health communities for decades. They provide self-expression and communication for people who are otherwise unable to engage with each other and the world.
A review of medical literature in 2010 by Heather L. Stuckey (DEd) and Jeremy Nobel (MD, MPH), found evidence of the value certain creative outlets can have on our health.
After their review, they concluded creativity can mitigate chronic stress that exacerbates illnesses like heart disease, improve psychiatric symptoms, and encourage the sharing of traditions between people of different cultures.
Health, they noted, “is more than the absence of illness.” By considering all aspects of a person’s health, not only their negative symptoms but also their emotional and social enrichment, their overall well-being can be improved.
These creative activities don’t have to be intensive, either. It can be as simple as listening to music or solving a puzzle, dancing with loved ones, visiting a community garden, or cooking a favorite meal.
An American Psychiatric Association Poll from 2023 found that 71% of Americans who rated their mental health as excellent engaged in more creative activities, while only 46% of those who rated their mental health as poor participated in some form of creative expression.
The benefits are clear: enjoying creative time, whether alone or with a loved one, can lower your stress, reduce symptoms of chronic illnesses, and improve your mental wellness.
So next time you’re making your favorite food, listening to a song for the twelfth time, writing in a journal, or taking a walk on a beautiful day, know that setting aside time to do something for the frivolous enjoyment of it is benefiting your health.
Sources:
Stuckey, H. L., & Nobel, J. (2010). The connection between art, healing, and public health: A review of current literature. American Journal of Public Health, 100(2), 254–263. [AJPH]
New apa poll: Americans who engage in creative activities at least weekly report better mental Healt. Psychiatry.org - New APA Poll: Americans Who Engage in Creative Activities at Least Weekly Report Better Mental Healt. (2023, July 6). [Psychiatry.org]
