On a superficial level, I suppose we could all say that we undertake creative endeavors because we ”enjoy it.”
Some might say that they create because they ”have to;” others might say that they create because they want to put things of beauty into the world; some may be creating for reasons that are entirely their own.
Whatever your reasons — and there seems to be a growing body of scientific evidence to support this — doing something creative does seem to have a psychologically healing effect on people.
Personally speaking, I don't create because I'm seeking healing, but I am acutely aware that when I'm working on a piece of art it has a calming and healing effect on me (a bit like meditation), especially if I'm going through periods of stress in the remainder of my life.
Of course, this is not exactly new news. Such things as ”art therapy” have been around for quite a long time. Psychotherapists often assign ”keeping a journal” as homework for their clients, as part of the therapeutic process.
But that's a little bit different. In those cases, creativity is ”assigned” rather than voluntarily inspired.
The reason I find myself reflecting on creativity and healing has to do with the fact that many of us have been more or less forced into different (and sometimes unwelcome) living patterns over the past couple of years, due to various restrictions imposed due to COVID-19.
As I think about that, I feel pretty sure that there would have been a far greater chance that I would have gone stir crazy if I hadn't had my art and my writing to turn to since February, a couple of years ago. It has been part of my sanity!
I realize not everybody is creative, or at least they don't believe they're creative, but even such a pastime as using adult coloring pages does seem to have a healing effect.
That was one of the things that became very clear while we still had the brick-and-mortar Red Dragonfly Gallery: A truly surprising number of our visitors would talk about how much they enjoyed working on coloring pages, and often asked whether some of their favorite artists of the gallery had ever considered making coloring pages.
Of course making coloring pages — when it's far removed from your primary artistic medium — is an entire art form of its own! Believe me on that one... I actually tried turning some of my artwork into coloring pages... and it is not easy!
Anyway, just in a grateful frame of mind today... and very happy that I have had creative endeavors as part of staying sane over the past couple of years!
Thanks for stopping by! Do you leave me a comment if you feel so inspired.
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All images are our own, unless otherwise attributed