“Creativity takes courage.” This is a quote from the famous 20th-century French artist Henri Matisse. 428 of his works are part of the MoMA’s collection, and that is only a small portion of his extensive portfolio. You don’t have to see yourself as an artist or even as someone creative for this quote to still ring true. Being creative is scary, and that is why you have to do it. Being unafraid to make a mistake and just start is so important. What better way to learn to do that than by creating art?
It is freeing to create without the limitations of perfection. If you have a fear of failure, you can try to spend 10 minutes a day doodling because it doesn’t have to be perfect, and it definitely doesn’t have to end in the MoMA. This is art for you and your soul. Use art as a way to grow. The more you make, the easier it will get to detach yourself from the feeling of doing what is “right” and instead create what you feel.
Perfectionism can affect many aspects of life, and it can prevent you from taking risks, making mistakes and growing. If you struggle with this, creating art can help you to get out of the mindset that everything has to be perfect all the time, because it doesn’t. Sometimes the imperfections in an art piece or the things that were once a mistake can be what make the piece beautiful.
According to Sara Evan, a certified art therapist, perfectionism can come with some heavy emotions, and art is a low-risk way to work on it. A lot of her clients come in with the idea that they aren’t artists, and fear that what they see in their mind, they can’t perfectly create. If you have those thoughts, that’s why you should do it anyway.
A quick project you can try that she recommends is making a drawing with your non-dominant hand. With the non-dominant hand art, you don’t have to draw something specific from a photo; you could make it completely abstract, or you could draw a scene, but the goal is to let go and just create. I think this could also become a creative exercise if you draw a shape with your non-dominant hand and then try to turn it into whatever the line looks like for you.
Doing activities that push you can also help you to become a more creative thinker and problem solver. Creativity is a muscle that needs to be trained, and it doesn’t have to be daunting or take hours out of your day, because spending a couple of minutes just doodling can help. Critical thinking skills are massively important to every aspect of life, and training yourself to think more creatively can be fulfilling.
Creative projects have also been shown to promote mental wellness. Every day stress can be very overwhelming, and doing a creative project that you find relaxing can really help. According to an article published by The University of Calgary, “cognitive neuroscientists found that creating art reduces cortisol levels (markers for stress), and that through art people can induce positive mental states.” The mindfulness that comes with art can be a really beneficial coping skill.
Art can come in so many different forms, and it is important to find one that works for you and resonates with you. It doesn’t have to be just drawing or painting. It could also be crocheting, pottery, music, writing or anything that you’re interested in to get your creative juices flowing.
You can experiment with so many different forms of art and see what sticks, or just try a different one every day. It is up to you to do whatever art means to you, but it is so important to do it for yourself, your mind and your mental health.