A little research by Jack Vernon, to help find ways in which you can benefit multiple aspects of your day-to-day life with creativity.

The world we live in is not one that our millions of years of evolution really built us for. We were made to be hunters and to escape death on a daily basis, but we instead spend our day-to-day lives pushing buttons, looking at screens and buying things. This is all well and good, at least we aren’t at high risk of dying at any moment.

However, there are still certain things that the human condition requires of us, otherwise we become rather miserable… creativity, it seems, is a way to help us round this issue. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs* argues that self-esteem and self-actualisation is what makes up our needs, now that we have reliable access to food, water and safety in developed countries. 

*note that Maslow’s hierarchy of needs has little scientific basis. However, it is an often-accepted simple model of human needs.

A rather agreed upon view is that creativity can bring this sense of purpose into people’s lives, by giving them goals and passions to work towards.

 

As well as this rather philosophically based view of creativity’s benefits to your mental health, there are some more concrete and scientifically proven benefits to creativity. Creativity is strongly linked to your ability of intuition, which is very important when it comes to making important or quick decisions. Whether you’re deciding what to eat for lunch or the title of your English language essay, a good sense of intuition is very beneficial in daily situations. The link between creativity and intuition means that if you take time to indulge in creative activities, you will also be boosting the strength of your intuition. Another positive of indulging in a creative activity is the stress relief it brings. It’s known that when you become fully concentrated on something creative that it diverts your thoughts from other elements of your life: for example, it can provide some time for you to forget about what may be stressing you. A very good option are adult colouring books if you don’t want to commit to starting a full hobby like writing or learning instruments.

 

The best effect creativity can have, in my opinion, is the self-esteem and sense of achievement it brings. When you finally learn that piano piece, finally are happy with the eye in your self-portrait or have just finished a page in a colouring book, you will feel a great sense of achievement. If you have something fun that you devote consistent time to, it makes you feel very proud and can boost your general opinion of yourself.

So, my suggestion is to make a little bit of time each day for something creative. Learn your favourite instrument, or take photos, or do some art.