The Benefits of Being Creative
via istockphoto and SeventyFour
November isn’t just the month of turkey, stuffing, and the beginning of the holiday season. It’s also National Novel Writing Month. This month-long challenge, colloquially known as “NaNoWriMo,” was founded in 1999 as a game with friends. Chris Baty, a writer living in the Bay Area, challenged his friends to finish a 50,000-word novel by the end of May. Word spread, and over 20 writers completed the feat. Soon after, they switched the contest to November to take advantage of the dismal Northern California winter weather.
As the challenge grew, they developed a comprehensive website where you can track your progress and chat with other writers. Today NaNoWriMo is a massive nonprofit organization and has turned the novel-writing process into a phenomenon. According to the website, nearly 400,000 novels have been completed, including Sara Gruen’s “Water for Elephants,” which was a New York Times Bestseller and was adapted into a film starring Robert Pattinson.
NaNoWriMo is a shining example of the importance of making time for your creative pursuits. It can be easy in a world dominated by work, social media, and other distractions to push aside creative impulses and projects. However, the reality is that being creative and carving out time for creative work benefits all areas of our lives.
Benefits of Creativity
It Can Improve Health!
Creativity has been cited by several studies as one of the most important indicators for predicting health and longevity. This is because creative activity draws from a wide variety of neural networks in the brain. Keeping these networks active strengthens them and allows them to continue to develop and stay active later in life. This not only increases life expectancy but helps the brain to avoid anxiety and depression. There are even studies that show that these neural networks strengthen cells in the body, improving the immune system.
2. It Helps Solve Problems
Creativity is not just helpful for creating art. Creative problem solving is one of the most important skills to possess in any business field, or even in life. Businesses are becoming increasingly automated so Manny's current job openings require a creative thinking skillset. These problem-solving skills require solving problems and performing the kinds of tasks that computers and machines aren’t able to do. Software companies no longer need to hire coders to do simple tasks-they need to hire coders who can design code that can creatively solve older issues. Developing and nurturing creativity at all ages is critical for success.
3. It’s Relaxing and Fun
Working on a creative project is a great way to unwind from the stress of everyday life. Relative to relaxation, there’s even a growing field of therapy known as “Expressive Arts Therapy,” which employs art as a tool to help with everything from healing depression to processing trauma. It’s important to focus not only on the end result of your creative work but also enjoys the process and steps involved. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Life is a journey, not a destination.”
It might be a little too late to join NaNoWriMo 2019, but that shouldn’t hinder you from simply creating for no other reason but enjoyment. Carve out some time in your busy schedule to journal, sketch, or even whittle if that’s how your creativity manifests. Whatever is happening in your life, exercising your creative muscle will help.
Sources:
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/open-mind-longer-life/
https://jamesclear.com/make-more-art