Why is Creative Art so Beneficial?

The inspiration to combine Creative Art and Personal Development came to me about five years ago. I have always been a ‘creative person’ in the sense that I love art, craft and music. Yet being creative is not about the arts, it’s about using your imagination. Art, craft and music are simply the medium through which I express my innate creative spirit. We are all different and create in our own way. It’s your ability to think and feel that makes you creative not your ability to draw, paint or play music.

As children we loved to play, run, dance, sing, draw, paint, climb, explore and experiment. That’s how we learnt about the world, ourselves and others. Our imagination was fertile ground with limitless potential, and it still is, yet sadly many people lose confidence in their creative ability. I have seen many adults really struggle to form a clear idea of what they want out of life, and I remember clearly being in just that situation myself a few years ago despite my natural propensity for creative art. I realised I had got out of the habit of having fun! Suddenly realising you have no plan, no goals, no dreams is scary. No matter how much intellectual research and web surfing you do, nothing seems to help.

Why?

‘The imagination gathers up the material by which the Mind weaves the fabric in which your future is to be clothed.’ (Charles Haanel – The Master Key System)

I believe too many of us have been, and still are, heavily influenced by academia through our education. From a young age most of us have been taught that passing exams and getting a steady job are the only way to get on in life. In our schools, subjects that encourage creative imagination are being squeezed to the point of non-existence. We learn to do what we’re told at school and work to satisfy other people’s objectives. We stop relying on our own intuition, our imagination and inspiration. If we step outside the line we’re berated for our disobedience! A clip from the film ‘Dirty Dancing’ (one of my favourite films by the way) springs to mind. Do you remember the scene where Johnny  tries to share his ideas with Neil (the owners nephew), only to be threatened with dismissal for daring to share his ideas?!

Our imagination needs to be exercised

As you know we have two brain hemispheres. My non-medically trained explanation is, the Left Hemisphere is logical, factual, linear, mathematical and tries to problem solve from previous experience. The Right Hemisphere is creative, intuitive, holistic, image and picture focused and solution finds through experiment. The idea that we are predominantly either Left or Right Brained is a myth. We need to engage both hemispheres to strengthen the Corpus Callosum and create stronger neural pathways. This allows for greater communication between the two halves of our brain. If our creative skills are not encouraged we can get stuck in Left Brain thinking, which relies on previous knowledge. Einstein defined insanity as ‘doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different result.’ Unless you push the boundaries, try new things and experiment through play we keep ourselves rooted to the same spot.

What better way to exercise your imagination than combining creative art with self develop?! The projects we create in my courses and workshops all involve recycling, and act as visual triggers. Creating art or music naturally focuses your Conscious Mind and allows your Subconscious Mind space to be heard. Not audibly, but through feelings. That is how our Subconscious or Inner Spirit communicates with us. But we need to give ourselves time to listen, feel and pay attention to our Inner Spirit. Some call it listening to your heart.

We are bombarded with so much information today through technology, media, television and busy schedules. The noise and constant roller coaster of life can become so consuming that we stop listening to our hearts. When you take the time to gift yourself some time to reignite your imagination, reconnect with your Inner Child and refocus, you begin to see solutions or new opportunities that were previously obscured.

The creative projects prepare and open your mind to see beyond what is. The answers we seek are always right in front of us, we just need to look with different eyes.

‘We manifest more and more life as our thought becomes clarified and takes higher planes. This is obtained with greater facility as we use word pictures that are clearly defined, and relieved of the conceptions attached to them on lower planes of thought.’ (Charles Haanel – The Master Key System)

Creative Art is HUGELY beneficial for a whole host of reasons

Creativity comes from a higher plane of thought because it is intuitive, insightful and expansive. It allows your mind and body to relax, it releases ‘feel good’ hormones (Oxytocin, Dopamine and Serotonin). It develops powers of concentration and attention, opens our mind to new possibility and boosts solution finding skills. Engaging in creative art quietens your mind and gives you respite from anxiety and stress, it boosts self-confidence and self- belief, and it is so much FUN!!! 🙂

Children and adults learn best when they are playing and having fun!!!! Play, creativity and fun are not childish activities. They are valuable tools to help us through life. They exercise our imaginative skills and also help us build connections in our brain and with other people in a really easy, natural way.

The next 7 week Creative Self Discovery Course starts Saturday 7th April 10am -2pm in Telford, Shropshire. If you’d like to know more then please get in touch.

For next Creative Experience Workshop dates please Click Here.