Why Creativity Might Be Your Missing Pillar to Stress Reduction

For many women, stress has become such a constant companion that we barely question it
anymore. And the truth is…it makes sense. Most of us are carrying a lot. We are holding relationships,
responsibilities, expectations, emotions, and often all at once. We manage it with better routines, more
sleep, exercise—all important, supportive pillars of wellbeing. But there is another pillar we often overlook
or dismiss as “frivolous”: creativity and play.

So many people believe that art belongs to “artists,” or that creativity requires talent or training.
But the truth is, making art, and the benefits of it, have nothing to do with the end product. Our nervous
systems don’t care if it’s “good.” It only responds to the act itself. There has been a growing body of
research on this, especially recently. As The New York Times has shared, “experiencing art and creativity
for a few minutes a day has tangible effects on our mental and physical health… helping to slow cognitive
decline, reduce the risk of heart disease, and increase overall wellbeing.”

As a therapeutic art practitioner, this is exactly why I encourage women to “make bad art.” Not
because the art itself is bad, but because it removes the pressure to make something beautiful or
cohesive. When that pressure drops away, we’re able to stay in the process, and that’s where the real
magic of art-making lives. Making things we admire is great, but making things because it helps us feel
better is where art-making can becoming healing.

Even ten minutes a day sitting with a pen, your kids crayons or playing with color without any
expectation, can begin to shift something in the body. In a world where we are asked to carry so much,
creativity isn’t extra. It’s a small, powerful way to come back to ourselves, or perhaps, discover ourselves
for the first time.

Written by best-selling author, artist, and therapeutic arts practitioner Stephanie Chinn. You can follow my
work or join my workshops at www.stephaniechinn.com or on Instagram @stephaniechinnart.