Joyful Pink: Creativity & Self Expression
The connections between creativity and mental health have been widely documented.
It’s incredibly easy to lose creativity from our lives. The need to pay bills and keep up with the fast pace of the world can take over and make self expression seem unimportant or self indulgent, but there’s a reason why it’s such a big part of our lives when they first begin.
As children we are encouraged to play, to spend time with colour and sound and other people, just being and doing whatever we feel inclined to do in that moment. Children have a sense of awe about the world, and take the time to really see, experience and try new things. As we move through life, so many of us lose touch with the creative activities that used to give us a sense of release and joy. We lose touch with a part of ourselves.
It’s no surprise that, when children of our own come along, we engage so readily in creative, colourful activities with them. Introducing regular forms of creativity and self expression into life can help us to release thoughts, feel joyful, switch off, make sense of emotions, feel calm and even process trauma.
Dancing for example is a fantastic form of self expression. Just putting on music and moving to it gets endorphins flowing and can make you feel lighter.
Painting and creative writing can have similar effects. Regularly taking time to do and make things that nobody else in the world could ever do or make in quite the same way as you can can be incredibly healing, even if the output is never seen by anybody else. Creating can bring a sense of possibility and hope, both of which can be sadly lacking in dark times.
Creativity and self expression can also be calming and meditative. As we focus our attention on the activity at hand we might gradually stop obsessing about paid work or problems. They’re also wonderful ways to give to others.
Creative activities can help us to feel less desperate and anxious and relieve stress. Creativity is a much healthier form of self medication than many others.
We all have different ways of expressing ourselves. Whatever lights you up and makes you want to carve a bit of time into each day or week to do it, I encourage you to make that happen.
Pink checklist:
Feels like:
Playful, fun, light, uplifting, passionate, childlike, inspiring, release, artistic, liberating, balanced.
Fed by:
Creativity and forms of self expression including visual art, singing, dancing, crafting, gardening, cooking, decorating, creative writing, performance, design, building, gardening, decorating, making.
Other Balancing Colours
Nourishing Green
Diet & Exercise
Peaceful White
Rest & Reflection
Warm Yellow
People & Purpose