How Everyday Creativity Boosts Your Mental Health — No Talent Required
Posted on: Jun 05, 2025
Photo Credit: Anna Stills // iStock Photo“Practice any art, music, singing, dancing, acting, drawing, painting, sculpting, poetry, fiction, essays, reportage — no matter how well or badly — not to get money and fame, but to experience becoming, to find out what’s inside you, to make your soul grow.”
– Kurt Vonnegut
In an industry that hinges on the approval of our creative endeavors, it’s important to remember to take a step back and focus on creation for its core purpose: creation!
Key Insights:
- Practicing creativity in any form — from drawing to decorating cupcakes — has proven mental and physical health benefits, including reduced stress and improved mood.
- Creativity isn’t limited to artists; it’s about making new choices, expressing yourself, and embracing originality in everyday life.
- Focusing on the joy of creating, rather than the outcome, can reignite passion and support long-term emotional well-being.
Everything Is Creation
Think about it: creativity is at the root of what has driven humanity since the beginning. Without creativity, we’d still be living in caves and wearing buffalo skins — which, yes, sounds a lot like the Met Gala — but you get the point. Modern society functions on a foundation of mind-blowing human creativity. And with every new generation comes a wave of exciting, never-before-seen inventions, ideas, technological advancements — and reasons to ask your parents for money.
The great news is that with the DIY-tech revolution, there has never been an easier time to create.
Scientific Benefits
Research has shown that creativity isn’t just good for your career — it’s great for your health. According to multiple studies, creativity has proven to reduce stress, improve heart health, strengthen the immune system, enhance coping skills, protect against cognitive decline, improve sleep and boost your mood. It’s fair to say that every time you’re creative, you’re basically taking one big happy pill that’s completely free.
Sorry, Celsius and coffee — you just can’t compete with that.
Broadening the Definition
For our purposes, creativity might typically refer to things in the entertainment industry — writing, makeup, sound design, acting. But I was recently on a set where the craft services table was a literal work of art. So it’s fair to say that whoever put together that spread was a creative genius. (I still think about those cupcakes.)
It’s time to expand the definition of creativity to include people who don’t traditionally “dabble in the arts.” In his book, Invincible: The Mindset of Infinite Potential and the Secret of Inevitable Success, Howard Falco writes:
“That is why creativity drives life. The human species finds a sense of fulfillment and self-identity in traveling to a new place; learning new information or a new skill, developing a new relationship, being part of a larger group, and trying different clothing styles, tattoos, social media expression, jewelry, art, or any other manifestation that brings distinction, reflects growth, and attracts attention by saying: I exist. I matter. I AM.”
Creativity, then, can be any form of expression that is new to you. This distinction is crucial, because so many people hear the word “creative” and immediately say, “Oh, I’m not a creative person.” Usually that’s because their definition of creativity is narrowly focused on just the arts. Let’s be honest — some people in the arts could stand to be a little less creative. (I’m looking at you, guy who sold an invisible statue for $18,000.) However, you can be creative simply by making a different choice than everyone else. I mean, think about the first person who decided it was ok to wear blue jeans to work. Talk about a game-changer.
Making Is What Matters
As the Kurt Vonnegut quote suggests, human beings have an innate desire to express themselves. But when creativity becomes entangled with our profession and a means of survival, we often lose the joy that inspired us to create in the first place.
That’s why it’s so important not to get caught up in the end result. The best creative memories I have are always the ones where I was making something purely for the fun of it. So choose — more often and more freely — to create something each day. Whether it’s a podcast, a poem, a song or a screenplay, do it just for the bliss of making it. You might be surprised by how much better you feel — and truly amazed at how much your soul begins to grow.
Brendan Fitzgibbons is a comedy writer and actor living in Los Angeles. He’s written for Comedy Central, The Onion, NBC, HuffPost and Bravo. As an actor, he’s appeared on Comedy Central, MTV and “Full Frontal with Samantha Bee.” His podcast, “Spiritual As****e” was named a Top Indie Podcast by Stitcher.
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