Creative mindset is a gift as well as a talent which can boost your positivity as well as professional talents. However, creative pursuits can be adopted as a habit with a view to improve your physical and mental health.
Creative pursuits encompass a wide range of activities that involve imagination, expression, and the development of original ideas. These may range from cooking and crafting to artistic performances.
Many of you might be immensely creative in different areas of life. Creativity offers a broad horizon to explore and practice. Worldwide people are keen towards pursuing some form of creativity since time immemorial. The creative pursuit was part of every civilization, developed as a part of the social evolution of ancient tribes from hunter gatherers into a society or population.
In the present era of advanced science and technology also creative pursuits have indispensable role. Across the globe, people may be pursuing creativity either instinctively or as an integral part of profession as arts provide you rewards, contentment and joy, elevating the mood towards more positive outlook. Some of you may have adopted creative professions which also provide you wealth & sense of joy while stimulating your cognitive skills as well.
Research data about creative pursuits & health benefits
The creative mind is more stable and intellectually keen. Of late numerous neuroscientific research studies have been published focusing on creativity and mental and cognitive health. They point out that engaging in creative pursuits is associated with numerous benefits, including improved mental health, enhanced creativity, and increased opportunities for personal growth and expression. Briefly, creativity and creative pursuits boost your physical, mental and emotional health.
A few examples of creative pursuits you may incorporate into life:
Artistic pursuits
- Performing arts such as acting, singing, dancing etc.
- Visual arts – drawing, painting, sculpture, pottery, digital arts
- Creative writing of poems, short stories, fictions, journaling etc.
- Crafts: Knitting, crocheting, sewing, woodworking, candle-making.
Other types of hobbies you are pursuing may be considered as creative pursuits if it involves your mental and physical contribution such as:
- Gardening
- Photography & editing
- Home decoration & renovation
- Learning new languages
- Cooking experiments
- Creating video games
- Playing musical instruments
- Story scripting and narration
- blogging
Apart from the listed pursuits you can add more creative hobbies and ventures into your life and enjoy its positive effects on life. Creativity is the ability to discover innovative and original ideas. It is one of the 10 life skills advocated by the World Health Organization.
Four-C model of creativity given by Kaufman and Beghetto
According to this model creativity is classified as:
- Mini-c model
It means transformative learning, meaningful interpretations of daily experiences that can make changes in the understanding at the individual level.
- Little-c model
This modelincludes creative actions and thoughts that is out-of-box thinking in anything we do & it impacts individuals and their zone of influence
- Pro-c model
It includes the creative acts of experts/experiences people learn within an organization, community, or domain or organization, field system of practice. It has impact on the market
- Big-c model
This includes eminent creativity of exceptional people that is self-taught, unconventional thinking. This can make profound impact on culture, society and the world.
Benefits of creative pursuits
- Psychological or mental health is improved by creativity
Enhanced self-efficacy, coping skills and emotional regulation or balanced emotions are achieved by creative people more easily. All creative pursuits orient the mind for positive focus. Purposeful creative involvement promotes well-being.
- Creativity helps to reduce stress
Creative pursuits lower stress hormone response and thus help in reducing the impact of stress on your physical and mental health.
- Immunity is better in creative & active people
Enhanced immune function is another added benefit of creative pursuits
- Creativity improves social involvement
Creative pursuits reduce loneliness and isolation, particularly presentation of artistic performances, digital art work etc. These kinds of pursuits are shared with audience and receive feedback also. It enhances social support, and improves social involvement.
- Adoption of healthy Behaviors
A focused attempt at creativity fosters healthy habits including increased exercise or physical activity, adoption of healthier behaviors & skills development.
Creativity as an important way of enhancing and maintaining a sense of well-being. Research studies have recognized that the practice of creative pursuits can be beneficial in influencing positively psychological, physical and social components.
For example, music as a creative pursuit is associated with numerous health benefits on the brain. A study conducted on children shows that music plays an important role in reading, language, and auditory skill development. Studies have shown structural differences in grey matter and white matter in children who engage in music (especially during early childhood) compared with those who do not.
Another study shows that in adults with a mental illness, activities such as choir singing, art-making, expressive writing, and group drumming reduce mental distress, depression, and anxiety while simultaneously enhancing individual and social well-being.
The benefits achieved through creative pursuits of these kinds may be attributed to the modulation of serotonin and other neurotransmitters, a decrease in cortisol and other stress hormones. The creative activities also cause a reduction in inflammatory immune responses.
Sleep studies on music indicates that music helps to improve sleep quality, sleep efficiency, and time to sleep onset in a way much better than meditation can do.
Written by Dr Sanjana p Souparnika [ dr sanjana vb]
Reference
- Hyde KL, Lerch J, Norton A, Forgeard M, Winner E, Evans AC, et al. Musical training shapes structural brain development. J Neurosci. 2009;29:3019–25. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.5118-08.2009. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19279238/
- Cordi MJ, Ackermann S, Rasch B. Effects of relaxing music on healthy sleep. Sci Rep. 2019;9:9079. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-45608-y. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-45608-y. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31235748/
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10911317/
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