As part of the Good Life Model, having a creative outlet brings a whole host of benefits that may not be obvious at first. When I started researching this topic, my initial thoughts were – this is about music, art, writing, stuff like that. But as I dove into this topic, I realized creativity can give you a rest from the other areas in your life, build your mental muscles which can bring improvements to your relationships and other areas of your life. Let’s create something!!!
What are some of the benefits of creativity?
There are lots of benefits, actually. Keeping your mind sharp and improving how you think on your feet are two stand outs for me. Having a creative outlet is also a super cool way to learn something new & is a great way to relieve stress. And all of these feelings and skills spread into your work life, home life, everything life.
Studies show that creative types are more innovative problem solvers. Who knew that sewing dog clothes for your pooch could help you be a better leader at work.
Are all hobbies a form of creativity?
I guess that depends on how you look at it. While drawing a picture could be considered creative, one could argue that running is a non-creative hobby and I would tend to agree with them. However, baking cookies has a bit of creativity to it even though you might follow a recipe.
So while we could debate this topic to exhaustion, one thing to point out, about creative endeavors and hobbies in general – is that they take you to another place. Bye, bye to your daily grind, hello to a single minded activity that puts you into a “state of flow”.
The state of flow?
The Flow Genome Project defines the state of flow as “those moments of rapt attention and total absorption when you get so focused on the task at hand that everything else disappears and all aspects of performance, both mental and physical, go through the roof.”
And well isn’t being in the “flow” what it’s all about? Recharging your mindset, reducing anxiety, building self confidence, finding inner peace, re-grounding yourself. You know what the benefits are. Be open minded to them and make it a priority to get fit some “flow time” into your schedule!
Getting Started or Getting Started Again
- Feeling lazy? Find a someone to do your hobby with and let them hold you accountable.
- Schedule overloaded? Sign yourself up for something in advance
- Not sure what to try? I’ve seriously tried so many things and here’s my list.
So now it’s time to INTENTIONALLY make some room in your schedule for some creative flow. Now let’s get on with it!
