Stephanie Banach is the go-to yoga therapist & wellness coach for individuals who want to reduce stress & anxiety so they can live a healthy lifestyle with ease AND be truly present for the people and moments they treasure. Her clients appreciate learning ways to slow down, practice self-compassion, and more deeply connect with others and nature.
Do you think being creative is just for children or the artists of the world? Or maybe is there a whisper in your heart telling you to create but fear is standing in your way of listening? Studies highlight that it’s never too late to be creative – and there are plenty of benefits for your body, soul, business and the community at large. Keep reading to learn more about the benefits of creativity and how you can begin today to be more creative!
What is creativity?
According to Barbara Kerr, creativity is “the ability to make or otherwise bring into existence something new, whether a new solution to a problem, a new method or device, or a new artistic object or form.”
Typically when people think of creativity they are thinking of “Big C” Creativity – the creativity that wins Nobel prizes, revolutionizes how we communicate or is displayed in museums for generations of people to delight in. However, there is also “Little c” creativity that is everyday creativity – creativity that sparks new ideas at work, allows you to dabble in the arts, and brings more joy into the mundane.
Creativity is for and within everyone. Creativity isn’t reserved for the artists of the world. It isn’t just for children until they learn to conform to the rules of those around them.
Creativity is a way of seeing things from a different perspective and coming up with new ideas. Creativity is needed just as much in the corporate office as the government office as the five star restaurant as the artist’s studio.
What are the benefits of creativity?
Erwin Raphael McManus says that “True creativity does not come easily; creativity is born of risk and refined by failure.” And that “If we want to create a better world, we had better start to unleash the creative potential inside each person to create all that is good and beautiful and true.”
When you tap into your inner artist, you unleash creative power that not only positively impacts you, but the world around you. You can discover new ways to share a message, teach lessons, solve societal concerns or have medical breakthroughs. Your creativity allows you to come up with new ideas and approaches that benefit the community at large.
Creativity is also good for you as an individual. When you act upon your creativity, you can lower your stress levels, increase positive emotions, strengthen your memory, support healing from trauma, improve immunity, and reduce depressive symptoms and anxiety.
Creating can be a mindful practice, allowing you to be truly present. You can get into a flow state which helps you to focus on the project you are working on and be in the moment – not pulled into the past or future.
The Journal of Positive Psychology states that “spending time on creative goals during the day is associated with higher activated positive affect.” Positive affect refers to positive moods people experience including joy, happiness, and optimism.
Tamlin Conner, a researcher at the University of Otago in New Zealand, and two American researchers conducted a test to see if creativity improved well-being or if greater well-being (higher positive emotions) led to greater creativity. She concluded from the results received that “these patterns were strong and straightforward: Doing creative things today predicts improvements in well-being tomorrow. Full stop.”
According to Dr. Nicholas Turiano, author of a research study published in the Journal of Aging and Health found that creativity draws on a variety of neural networks within the brain. Turiano says, “Individuals high in creativity maintain the integrity of their neural networks even into old age.”
Creativity is good for the mind, body, and spirit! It’s good for you, your relationships, your productivity and your overall well being.
Is it ever too late to be creative?
People are born creative! It is their natural state. Children aren’t taught to color. They are taught to stay in the lines. They aren’t taught to mix mediums. They are taught to follow the rules.
Children aren’t taught to be curious. They are taught there is a time and place to ask questions – and only certain questions can be asked!
As children grow up, they learn the rules, routines, regiments and responsibilities to be an adult and with their “adult training” they learn to conform, to fit into the mold, to standardize. And in the process of that, many lose their own unique creativeness.
But here’s the beauty and wonder of it all: it still exists in you!! That child-like curiosity, the knack for experimenting and questioning and seeing things from different angles still exists in you. It may take some time and effort to chisel the magic out, but it’s there and you are worth the adventure to discover it.
Serina Hartwell captures the freedom and joy in creating, “We nurture our creativity when we release our inner child. Let it run and roam free. It will take you on a brighter journey.”
Mindset shifts
What are your thoughts about creativity and people who are creative? Do you think it is child’s play? Do you see it as a drain on productivity?
By shifting your thoughts around creativity, you welcome the opportunity to explore more about it. If you see it as merely child’s play or a waste of time, you close off opportunities to experiment.
But if you see it as a way to bring more joy and pleasure in your life, a way to reduce stress, improve well being, increase productivity and give you greater clarity – then you will be open to explore and see just how you can grow through creativity.
Brené Brown emphasizes the fundamental nature of creativity: “To create is to be human. And, creativity is such an undervalued part of learning, skilling-up, re-skilling, practicing for mastery, and trying on new ways of being. What we bring to what we’re learning is uniquely us – you can’t separate who we are from the craft.”
Tools to become more creative
As you’ve celebrated more trips around the sun, it may seem harder to tap into your own creativity, but there are tools and practices that can support you with it! Here are a few to get you started:
1. Break up with routine
Try something new. Perhaps you always go to the same restaurant or enjoy the same seven meals at home, try a new restaurant or a new recipe. Discover a new path to walk or take a new class at the gym. By breaking up the norm, you invite newness into your life – and with that comes a willingness to be open to try other new things.
2. Get outside
Instead of plugging away at a problem when you feel like you’ve hit a brick wall, step outside. Enjoy fresh air and a change of scenery. When you are ready to work on your problem again, you’ll be able to look at it from different angles. Regular time in nature helps to foster more creativity in your life on a daily basis.
3. Ask silly questions
Pretend to be someone else! When tackling a problem, ask the typical questions, but also the ones that may seem too silly or out there to be relevant. Pretend to be in a different role or time period when you are asking questions. Maybe look at it through the eyes of a child or someone from another part of the world. It will not only help you to start thinking of new solutions or ideas, but also your teammates.
4. Pull out some toys
Have clay, building blocks, tinker toys or fidgets available to play with. It will be just enough to tap into childlike-play and get your creative juices flowing!!
5. Journal – Write freely
If you need to use a couple of prompts to get you started, go for it. Then allow whatever comes up for you to be freely written down. Pen to paper generates fresh ideas, helps you to see things differently and it’s therapeutic. Emotions can come to the surface and self-awareness is deeper when you aren’t judging yourself or feeling judged.
6. Return to your childhood artistic pleasures
What were your favorite ways to express yourself as a child? What was a creative pastime that you could get lost in? Pull out the crayons and markers, get some beads or your old instrument, find a beautiful new notebook, paint canvas or glass – let your imagination run wild with ideas!
7. Take a class
By yourself, with a friend, your child or significant other – sign up for a class and go, have fun, create, laugh, connect with others. You can even make this part of team-building activity.
Ashley Ormon writes, “Creativity is the brain's invisible muscle – that when used and exercised routinely – becomes better and stronger.” Be encouraged to keep creating, keep working your brain’s invisible muscle - you never know what masterpiece and joy is in you waiting to come out!
What does creativity have to do with self-doubt?
Self-doubt can keep you stuck, questioning your purpose and your uniqueness. It can be hard to think clearly when you are struggling with self-doubt. It can feel like you are in a vicious cycle with no way out.
Creativity gives you a new way to look at things. By pausing from what you are doing to engage in creative activities, you can shift your focus from the worries to creating something new. With your attention on the project, you’ll step into a state of greater pleasure and enjoyment. You can even get into a flow state and reap the benefits as if you were meditating. When you are ready to return to your questions, you’ll have more ease and greater clarity.
Creativity also nourishes your soul. It feels good to create! It can also give a boost to your confidence and a sense of accomplishment. When you start with a blank page or canvas and cover it as you like, or take beads and jewels and create something lovely to wear you will have the process of creating to fill your soul, but also the created item to enjoy. And if you choose to give it to someone, that too can strengthen your confidence – and warm your heart!
You can also take a creative approach to your self-doubt. Using creative tools, such as role playing, free writing or asking the bit out there questions can support you through the trials that are having you rocking in self-doubt. They can also support you overall in your confidence.
Be inspired by the words of Idowu Koyenikan, “Let your creative and imaginative mind run freely; it will take you places you never dreamed of and provide breakthroughs that others once thought were impossible.”
Read more from Stephanie Banach
Stephanie Banach, Certified Yoga Therapist & Wellness Coach
Stephanie Banach, owner of Heart and Wings Yoga, supports individuals striving to live a healthy lifestyle but feel stressed overthinking to make the perfect decision. She gets it! She too was striving to create the cleanest, leanest, greenest lifestyle, but it was counterproductive, she felt more stressed than healthy and energized! And it was taking a toll on her relationships.
After working on herself to create the balance and contentment she wanted, she now encourages her clients to reach their goals with compassion and curiosity so that they too can have less stress and more happiness. Stephanie’s clients release the pressure of perfection and have more fun with the people and activities they love most!
Live Mindfully, Not Perfectly!
