Why you need to find a creative outlet

The advice that saved my emotional health

I have never been a creative person.

Or more like: I have never considered myself to be a creative person.

Being a business and law student, wanting to pursue a career in analytics and never liking any of my marketing courses, I never saw myself as the artistic type. I considered that my sister, a fine-arts graduate and graphic designer for a living, had probably received all of the creativity there was to inherit.

However, three years into my degree I met somebody that completely changed my mind. Ema, a business student from Macedonia, taught me that art is something that we all do, or did — it feels that as we grow up, we forget about joy and play. She opened my eyes about how creative expression has a lot of health benefits and should be considered as part of everybody’s routine.

Art is for everyone

As I said, I never considered myself to be creative, or to enjoy any kind of art. I used to despise exhibitions as I had very limited knowledge of art history, and contemporary art did not make sense in my mind.

I believe a lot of it has to do with how current museums are curated in a way that is mildly inaccessible — lots of us, myself included, believe that we need to “know about art” (whatever that is) in order to understand what all of these art pieces are about.

I was able to enjoy art once I let go of the expectation that I had to understand it. The reality is that art, like many other subjective experiences, is about feeling. You can ask yourself “does this make me feel anything?”. If the answer is no, it is OK, you can move on. You do not have to appreciate something just because other people seem to enjoy it.

You can go through a gallery and ignore 99% of the art-work — I can assure you there is a high probability you will at least be impressed by one or two pieces that will stir something within you, even if you do not really understand why. You just have to go in with an open mind and an open heart.

Artistic expression is therapeutic

So now that we have established that art is for everybody, we can explore our second idea: you do not only have to be a receiver of art.

We generally think about art as something we either do, or we don’t. Why is it that when it comes to art, we believe that we either are an “artsy” person or we are not? We are not like that with everything else in our lives. This is like saying there are dancers and non-dancers — barring mobility constraints, we can all dance to an extent, even if it is just uncomfortably moving our shoulders.

Art is a way of letting your emotions out. It is about allowing yourself to use your creative power to communicate your feelings. The idea of having a creative outlet is for you to be able to channel your thoughts and feelings.

This is why a concept of “art therapy” has emerged in the later years. The creation of art stimulates dopamine release, and provides you with a safe outlet through which to channel your emotions.

In reality, if you are reading this, you probably already have such creative outlet. Take journaling, for example. This practice has been widely popularised in the latest years — and what is writing about your feelings and thoughts if not an art? In fact, I am sure many creators here at Medium use this platform for a similar purpose (myself included).

Where to start

Don’t know where to get started? You are not alone. I also had no idea. Was I supposed to suddenly get a canvas and start painting? I wouldn’t even know where to start.

Do not worry: it is simpler than that. You can just get started with a pen and paper, your phone camera or just a word document.

Below is a list of some of the ideas you can test! My advice — don’t knock it until you try it. A couple of times. It might feel uncomfortable at the beginning (I understand, I was there), but as you discover what you enjoy, it will start getting better and better.

Let it out on the ink

Grab a blank piece of paper and doodle using whatever you have. No need to buy anything fancy, a blue pen will work just fine. I like to sit on the floor of my apartment and light a candle, but you might want to intrude into nature and doodle on the grass. Where is your pen taking you on the page?

Get your hands dirty

If you feel like investing a bit, get some acrylics and paint on a paper or canvas using your hands. Get some clay and try to shape it. Upcycle some of your trash by trying to make a sculpture out of it. Try anything in the physical sphere. Remember, it is all about exploring: you do not have to create something you love or that will last. You just have to feel and enjoy, like when you were a kid playing. What is it that you feel like drawing? A circle, a square, a heart, a line?

Go out and see the world through a different lens

Most of us have a camera nowadays: hidden in our phone, generally only used for social media. Go out there and try to experiment with views and angles. Maybe photograph things you wouldn’t usually — a lamppost from below, the corner of a building, a hidden flower in the pavement. Do not think about what would look nice in an Instagram post, but how what you are capturing is making you feel. What are some things you are noticing for the first time?

Joy, not obsession

One of the biggest epidemics in the modern world is the idea that you must monetise everything you do in life. It seems like enjoying our hobbies is not enough anymore — we should always be looking for the side-hustle that is going to make us some extra money.

As you look for that creative outlet, I encourage you not to think about that. The aim for this is for you to experience joy, to relieve stress and find a way to channel your emotions. Great if people resonate with it and you are able to pursue it professionally, but try not to put pressure on yourself to achieve a certain goal. A big majority of us exercise for physical and mental fitness, but not all of us make a career out of it.

Remember when you were a kid and used to play around — channel these emotions again. Joy is one of the biggest positive influences in your health, after all.

It is time to go play!