Did you know that being creative can contribute to your good health? You might say, "Well, of course!" There is something intuitively right about that observation. Creating something makes us feel good, and feeling good has health benefits. But did you know there is scientific evidence to support that conclusion? We are going to take a brief look at that evidence. But first, what is creativity?

You hear the word often these days along with allied terms like "innovation," "imagination," and "entrepreneurialism." People are more and more into creativity.

How important is it?

Creativity is now thought of as one of the engines that will drive the technology and the new economies of the 21st century. We must help young people find their creativity. Behind all this is the recognition that something deep and strong is evoked when people are creative.

What is creativity?

Linda Naiman on her website, "Creativity at Work," gives this definition:

Creativity is the act of turning new and imaginative ideas into reality. Creativity is characterized by the ability to perceive the world in new ways, to find hidden patterns, to make connections between seemingly unrelated phenomena, and to generate solutions. Creativity involves two processes: thinking, then producing. If you have ideas, but don't act on them, you are imaginative but not creative.

(https://www.creativityatwork.com/2014/02/17/what-is-creativity/)

The psychologist Rollo May writes in The Courage to Create,

"Creativity is the process of bringing something new into being. Creativity requires passion and commitment. It brings to our awareness what was previously hidden and points to new life. The experience is one of heightened consciousness: ecstasy."

These are powerful and evocative definitions: turning new ideas into reality, seeing the world in new ways, finding hidden patterns, making connections, generating solutions, bringing to light what has been hidden-requiring passion, and producing ecstasy.

What happens

Think about what happens when you generate an new idea or direction in your work, or come up with a new recipe in your kitchen, or make something in your wood shop, or write something in your journal, or do a floral arrangement, or make up a bedtime story for your kids or grandkids, or get down on the floor with them and make original and fantastic Lego constructions. All of the above actions fit into the definition of creativity, and when people do any of these things, they almost always feel good.

Creativity and healing

In an article in the "American Journal of Public Health" (February 2010), Heather L. Stuckey and Jeremy Nobel write, "Engagement with creative activities has the potential to contribute toward reducing stress and depression and can serve as a vehicle for alleviating the burden of chronic disease."

The idea that creative expression can make a powerful contribution to the healing process has been embraced in many different cultures. Throughout recorded history, people have used pictures, stories, dances, and chants as healing rituals. The authors cite many studies that show the restorative powers of visual arts, of writing, of music, of "movement-based" expression.

Creativity large and small

Studies show the health-giving power of what we might call large and obvious acts of creation -- painting, writing, music, and dance. What about small, everyday activities? This difference may be why some people say they are not creative. They don't see that cooking, playing with children, doing crafts, or decorating for a party are creative acts. However, it's very likely that most of you reading this will agree that these small activities make you feel good. So it is safe to come to a modest conclusion, not supported by scientific evidence, but maybe implied by it, that being creative in these small ways will also promote your good health.

No surprise

If you have never watched a TED Talk on YouTube, take a short break and treat yourself to one or more of the links featured here. Each talk is the equivalent of a short, powerful sermon. To go along with our theme this month, we have supplied links to TED talks on six different aspects of creativity.

FYI: TED, which began in 1984 as a conference where Technology, Entertainment, and Design converged, is a nonprofit organization devoted to spreading ideas, usually in the form of short, powerful talks (18 minutes or less). Today, TED covers almost all topics - from science to business to global issues -- in more than 100 languages. Meanwhile, independently run TEDx events help share ideas in communities around the world.

"Play, Passion, Purpose" -- Tony Wagner

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvDjh4l-VHo 

"A Crash Course in Creativity" -- Tina Seelig

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyM6rx69iqg  

"7 Steps of Creative Thinking" -- Raphael DiLuzio

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRD-4Tz60KE