Where health and creativity intersect
My head is still buzzing with creative ideas for health after my dotMED conference experience. Here’s a great new blog post by doctor and writer Jacquie Garton-Smith on the links between creativity and wellness.
Being a doctor and a writer, it’s probably no surprise that I am interested in how two of my passions overlap.
There are clear links between creativity and wellness:
• The benefits of appreciating the creativity of others, how it makes us feel and what we can learn from it – art, music, photography, film and literature for example.
• Fulfilling your own need to be creative – be it one of the more traditional creative pursuits, or cooking a new dish, planting a garden bed or writing a Facebook post or tweet.
• The role of creative activities contributing to a range of benefits including to aid in learning and sharing of ideas, to reduce isolation, to foster companionship, to promote improved health and well-being, and even to reduce medication use and assist healing.
Photo by Mia Holton
There are comprehensive reviews of the literature which demonstrate the evidence…
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dear Marie and (Dr.) Jacquie,
thank you for sharing this post. it resonated so well with what I have been attempting to put back into my life – what I believe is a genuine life force for me – creativity. I am a painter, I do a lot of writing; and I have had a passion for designing and making my own clothes. but painting and clothing design both fell by the wayside when I became a widow, then, shortly after, when i was d’xed with another cancer. I feel strongly that writing has kept me afloat through all the grief; and now I can feel the stirrings of wanting to get back to my other creative outlets.
I think it’s important to give ourselves permission to take baby steps back to our creativity – I still feel not quite ready to paint and design again – but I’ve become excited about changing all my furniture around to reflect the “after” of me now that I am alone. and I can happily attest to the effects that even a small injection of creativity has lifted my spirits, that my memory and ability to concentrate is getting sharper, and that I have a keener sense of my state of wellness with NED for both cancers. and it all contributes to feeling enormous gratitude and resilience that enhances my life and encourages me to move forward.
much love to you both for this wonderful inspiring and insightful post,
Karen
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What a beautiful comment Karen. You’ve given us a lot to think about it.
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Karen I love the point that you make about embracing creativity in little steps and in ways you might not have previously considered – it really is all around us and whatever works at the time is the right path. Every best wish for your future wellness and creativity, Jacquie
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