5 Reasons to Cultivate a Creative Practice
At Art Life Practice, we are on a mission to help you cultivate a creative practice to promote positive wellbeing. Here are five reasons why we all need more casual creative playtime in our lives.
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Your creative practice is a process of self discovery. When you can recognize that whatever you create is simply a byproduct of this process, your relationship to creativity gets completely reframed. The act of creating is intrinsic to who we are as human beings, and it is a valid and powerful act of self expression, no matter your skill level.
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Your creative practice can lead to flourishing. Flourishing is described in Your Brain on Art as, “living an authentic and full life. It’s feeling present and alive by noticing and appreciating what you already have around you…When you are flourishing, you are curious, creative, and open to new experiences, and there is a conscious commitment to fostering a positive mindset. You’re nurturing your mental, physical, and social health. And you’re appreciating the time you have on this planet.”
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Engagement with art increases our longevity. A compelling study conducted by the Mayo Clinic shows that people who engage in art activities in middle and old age may delay cognitive decline in old age. According to the principal investigator, “Our study supports the idea that engaging the mind may protect neurons, or the building blocks of the brain, from dying, stimulate growth of new neurons, or may help recruit new neurons to maintain cognitive activities in old age” (American Academy t of Neurology, 2015).
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Creative play is a powerful approach to restoring a sense of joy and vitality in your life. Dr. Susan Magsamen notes that, “Art and play are like two sides of the same coin, with play being a part of artistic expression, imagination, creativity and curiosity.” Research indicates that when humans play it positively influences both our cognitive development and our emotional wellbeing.
- Cultivating a creative practice is an opportunity to disconnect and reconnect. Similar to meditation and being in nature, your creative practice offers the time and space to take a break from the noisiness of contemporary life and reconnect with yourself and the world in a deep, meaningful way.
Berry Stein
Berry is the founder of Art Life Practice. She's an art educator and has spent the past 14+ years working to broaden access to arts education and daily creative practice.
