insideKENT Magazine Issue 70 - January 2018 | Page 30

ARTS+ENTERTAINMENT
CREATIVITY
In The New Year
IT’S FUNNY, BUT THE IDEA THAT YOU HAVE TO BE ‘NATURALLY CREATIVE’
IN ORDER TO CREATE SOMETHING SEEMS TO HAVE TAKEN HOLD, MAKING
PEOPLE NERVOUS ABOUT TRYING ANYTHING NEW IN CASE THEY JUST
AREN’T THAT GREAT AT IT. THE THING IS, YOU REALLY DON’T HAVE TO
BE CREATIVE TO ENJOY CREATING. IF YOU LOVE TO DO SOMETHING,
NO MATTER WHAT IT IS – PAINTING, SCULPTING, KNITTING, WRITING,
BAKING – THEN IT DOESN’T ACTUALLY MATTER WHETHER YOU’RE ‘GOOD’
(WHICH IS SUCH A SUBJECTIVE TERM ANYWAY) AT IT OR NOT.
The fact that you’re enjoying yourself and
getting your brain to work in a different
way…that’s the important part.
Creativity starts when we’re just kids; crayons,
felt tips, colouring pencils, whatever your
preferred medium was, you would just draw
and scribble and colour. You didn’t care what
it looked like, you didn’t care who – if anyone
– saw it. You just loved doing it.
And then you got older and you put those
crayons away because life got that little bit
more serious, that little bit less fun, and those
enjoyable childhood pursuits became just part
of your past because your present meant that
they weren’t needed anymore. But if you could
go back and enjoy that creativity once more,
that complete freedom to make something
out of nothing, we bet you would. We certainly
would. So why not make your future a creative
one? Everyone has the instinct to create; it
isn’t just limited to those who do it for a living.
Pick up those crayons, find a fresh canvas,
slap some clay on the wheel and get going.
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WHY IS CREATIVITY IMPORTANT
FOR ADULTS?
Being creative on a regular basis is hugely
rewarding, but it has some additional benefits
that you may not have thought about before.
Being completely lost in the project you are
making, not having to think about anything
or anyone else for a while, that’s good for you.
It allows your entire body and mind to re-set
itself, and that can have some surprisingly
useful results, such as suddenly coming up
with the answer to a problem, for example.
Creativity is the perfect antidote to stress too.
It causes our brains to release endorphins
which increase brain activity as well as being
natural pain relievers and stress reducers. So
not only will your memory function be
improved and you’ll re-grow lost brain cells,
but you’ll feel amazing while you’re doing it.
Endorphins are said to create a natural high,
which is why creativity feels so incredible –
and it’ll make you want to keep being creative,
which in turn will keep stimulating your brain,
which in turn will reduce your stress levels,
which in turn…and so on.
BE CREATIVE AROUND THE HOME
If you want to be creative but want a purpose
to your creativity, then look around your home.
There are dozens of ways in which you can
liven it up, and give it some of your own
unique creative personality.
Flower Arranging
Flower arranging is a lovely creative pursuit.
Not only will it make your home look more
beautiful, but having plants in the house is
good for your health too because they improve
the air around them and, consequently,
around you.
Julie Davies Flower Workshops, Faversham
www.juliedaviesflowerworkshops.co.uk
The Flower Pot, Gravesend
www.flowersgravesend.co.uk / 01474 569491