Art & creative expression

In a study at Drexel University, 39 adults spent 45 minutes making art with markers, clay or collage. Afterwards, 75% had lower levels of cortisol, a hormone linked to stress. Most described the session as relaxing and enjoyable.

Why might this happen? When your hands are busy and your attention is on colour, shape or texture, there is less room for worry. Your breathing often slows without you noticing.

Some feelings are hard to put into words, especially grief, trauma, confusion or mixed emotions. Cleveland Clinic explains that art can help people express things that are hard to say out loud.

A scribble in red, a dark sky in a painting, or a poem that doesn’t rhyme can hold a feeling for you. Once it’s on the page, you can look at it from a little distance, which can make it feel more manageable.

Try this

• Pick a colour that matches your mood and fill a page with it
• Draw what your stress looks like, then draw what calm looks like
• Write a short letter to a feeling, as if it were a person

Many people describe losing track of time when they are creating. You are focused, but relaxed. Psychologists call this state “flow.” It is a lot like mindfulness: your attention rests on what you are doing right now.

Flow is more likely when a task is a little challenging but not overwhelming. That’s why a simple craft you are slowly getting better at, like knitting or sketching, can feel so absorbing.

In a 13-day diary study of 658 young adults, people felt more energised and positive, and reported more “flourishing,” on the day after they spent more time than usual on creative activities.

Finishing something you made, even a small sketch or a loaf of bread, gives a sense of achievement. The NHS lists learning new skills, like learning to paint, as one of five steps to better mental wellbeing because it builds confidence and a sense of purpose.

Classes, choirs, craft circles and theatre groups bring people together around a shared activity. That takes the pressure off conversation, because you always have something to talk about.

The CDC suggests joining groups with shared interests as a way to feel more connected, and social connection is linked to lower risk of depression and anxiety.

Cleveland Clinic notes that in art therapy, no artistic ability is needed, because the process of creating matters more than how the art looks. The same is true when you create at home.

Ways to let go of “good”

• Use cheap paper so nothing feels precious
• Set a timer for 10 minutes and stop when it rings
• Draw with your non-dominant hand, so “perfect” is impossible
• Make something and then throw it away, just to practise letting go
• Say “I’m just playing” instead of “I’m making art”

Try one of these

• Doodle patterns: circles, waves, zigzags, repeating shapes
• Colour in a printed pattern or a page you drew yourself
• Make a collage from old magazines and junk mail
• Take five photos of one colour on a walk
• Write six words about your day
• Shape a small figure from clay, dough or foil
• Arrange leaves, stones or flowers into a pattern outside

Almost everyone hears a critical voice when they create. Instead of fighting it, notice it: “There’s the critic again.” Then keep going. The goal is not to make the voice disappear, but to stop letting it decide for you.

Helpful thoughts

• “This is for me, not for anyone else.”
• “Messy is allowed.”
• “I’m practising, not performing.”
• “The point is how I feel, not how it looks.”

Creativity is not only painting and poetry. Cooking a new recipe, planting a garden, decorating a room, fixing something, styling your hair, making up a bedtime story or building with blocks are all creative acts.

The NHS suggests learning to cook something new or taking on a DIY project as ways to learn new skills and boost wellbeing. If you enjoy those, you are already creative.

Drawing needs only a pen and paper. Doodling, even during a phone call or meeting, can help some people stay focused and calm. Repeating simple shapes and patterns can feel soothing, almost like a meditation.

Ideas

• Draw one object on your desk, slowly, noticing every detail
• Fill a page with repeating patterns
• Keep a tiny sketchbook and draw one thing a day
• Draw your feelings as weather: storms, fog, sunshine

Painting lets you play with colour, texture and movement. Watercolours can feel loose and freeing. Thick paint can feel physical and satisfying. You don’t need to paint “something”; abstract shapes and colours are enough.

Ideas

• Paint how today felt using only colours, no shapes
• Try finger painting; it isn’t just for kids
• Paint to music and let the rhythm guide your brush
• Colour in patterns when your mind feels too busy to start from blank

Knitting, crochet, sewing, pottery, woodwork, jewellery-making, model-building and paper crafts all use repetitive, hands-on movements. Many people find that rhythm calming, and finishing something useful brings real pride.

Crafts are often social, too. Craft circles, sewing groups and community workshops have helped people make friends for generations.

Ideas

• Learn one simple stitch from a free online video
• Make a card or small gift for someone
• Try air-dry clay at the kitchen table
• Repair something instead of replacing it

Taking photos asks you to slow down and really look: at light, colour, shapes and small details you would usually walk past. That attention to the present moment is similar to mindfulness.

Ideas

• Take a “photo walk”: choose a theme like “circles” or “something blue”
• Take one photo each day of something that made you smile
• Photograph the same tree or view through the seasons
• Print a few favourites and make a small display

Writing a story or poem lets you explore feelings from a safe distance. A character can say what you can’t. A poem can hold a feeling without needing to explain it.

Ideas

• Write a six-word story about your week
• Write a poem that starts with “Today I noticed…”
• Write a letter to your younger or older self
• Make up a story with a friend, taking turns sentence by sentence

Dance combines music, rhythm, movement and often other people. A 2024 review in The BMJ called dance a promising approach for depression, though only a small number of studies have tested it so far.

Ideas

• Dance alone in your kitchen to one favourite song
• Try a beginner class: cultural, ballroom, hip-hop, line dancing
• Seated dance or gentle movement if standing is hard
• Move to show a feeling: how does “tired” move? How does “free” move?

Acting, improv and storytelling let you step into someone else’s shoes, practise new ways of speaking, and play. Improv games, in particular, teach you to accept mistakes and keep going, which is a useful life skill.

Ideas

• Join a community theatre or improv group
• Read a play aloud with friends
• Tell family stories at the dinner table
• Practise a hard conversation by role-playing it with someone you trust

Drama therapy and psychodrama are specialist therapies led by trained professionals. See “Art therapy explained” below.

Music is a creative art too. Singing, drumming, humming, writing songs and playing an instrument can all support wellbeing.

Most studies ask people to write about emotional experiences for 15 to 20 minutes, on 3 to 5 occasions, often on days in a row.

Steps

1. Find a private, quiet spot and set a timer for 15 minutes.
2. Write about something that has been weighing on you, and your deepest thoughts and feelings about it.
3. Keep writing without stopping. Don’t worry about spelling or grammar.
4. Repeat for 3 or 4 days. You can write about the same thing or something different.
5. Afterwards, do something gentle, like a walk or a cup of tea.

Your writing is just for you. You can keep it, hide it, or tear it up.

Writing about painful memories can bring up strong feelings in the short term. Harvard Health notes that expressive writing is not a cure-all and won’t work for everyone. It seems to help most for people who are not also dealing with ongoing, severe mental health challenges.

Harvard Health also suggests waiting at least one or two months after a traumatic event before trying it, because writing too soon may leave some people feeling worse.

Try

• Gratitude journal: three good things from today, however small
• Worry dump: list every worry, then circle the ones you can act on
• Mood log: rate your mood and note what happened
• Bullet journal: short lists, doodles and trackers
• Art journal: mix words, sketches, stickers and collage
• Voice notes, if writing feels hard

Knowing nobody else will read your journal makes it easier to be honest. Keep a paper journal somewhere private, use a locked notes app, or simply tear up the pages when you’re done.

Worksheets in this app are saved only on your phone, so you can use them as a private journal too.

Try saying

• “Tell me about your picture.”
• “I love all the colours you chose.”
• “How did you make this part?”
• “What’s happening here?”
• “How does this picture feel?”

Try to avoid

• Guessing what it is (“Is that a dog?”)
• Correcting it (“Grass should be green”)
• Comparing with siblings or classmates
• Only praising “pretty” or “realistic” art

Praising effort and choices (“You worked so hard on this”) helps children keep creating without fear of getting it “wrong.”

Ideas

• “Draw your mad”: scribble hard, then tear it up
• Make a feelings faces chart together
• Squeeze and shape play dough when upset
• Draw a “safe place” to look at when worried
• Paint a picture to say goodbye after a loss, like a pet dying

Don’t try to analyse children’s drawings. A dark picture doesn’t always mean something is wrong. If you are worried about a child, talk with their pediatrician, school counselor or another clinical provider.

Tips

• Keep paper, crayons and scissors within reach
• Use recycled materials: boxes, tubes, bottle caps
• Cover the table and let mess be okay
• Let them choose what to make; avoid step-by-step “right answers” every time
• Make art alongside them, not just for them
• Display their work with pride

Ideas

• A weekly family art night
• Make cards for grandparents or neighbours
• Build a cardboard fort or city
• Write and act out a family play
• Make a scrapbook of a holiday or a special year

Side-by-side activities often make it easier for kids and teens to talk. Some of the best conversations happen with a paintbrush in hand.

In the U.S., art therapists complete a master’s degree in art therapy, supervised clinical placements, and 1,000 hours of supervised work after graduating. They can then become registered and board-certified through the Art Therapy Credentials Board.

The therapist first gets to know you and your goals. They suggest art materials that suit those goals, from drawing and painting to clay and collage. Afterwards, you may talk together about what you made: the story, the feelings, what surprised you.

You don’t need any artistic skill. You only need an open mind and a willingness to take part.

Cleveland Clinic mentions

• Anxiety and stress
• Trauma and post-traumatic stress
• Pain
• Coping with a new diagnosis or a long hospital stay
• Grief and end-of-life concerns
• Military service members and veterans
• Survivors of assault or trafficking

Art therapy can be especially helpful for people who find talking about feelings hard, including children and people who have been through trauma.

Dance movement therapy uses movement to support emotional and social wellbeing. A 2019 review of studies in adults with depression concluded it is an effective approach, while noting that more high-quality studies are needed.

Music therapy and drama therapy are other creative arts therapies. The Music & wellbeing guide explains music therapy.

Creative arts therapies can be used on their own or alongside talking therapies like CBT. A clinical provider or therapist can help you decide what fits your needs.

Tiny habits

• One doodle with your morning coffee
• One photo on your walk home
• Three lines of writing before bed
• Ten minutes of knitting while you listen to a podcast

Link your creative moment to something you already do every day. That makes it much easier to remember.

Tips

• Keep a small kit ready: a sketchbook, pens, a few colours
• Leave your craft out where you can see it
• Have a list of easy prompts for days you feel stuck
• Choose a cozy spot that feels like “your” creative corner

On low days, even small creative acts can help. Try something that needs no decisions, like colouring a pattern, copying a simple drawing, or tracing shapes.

Missing a day, or a month, is fine. Creativity isn’t a test. You can come back whenever you’re ready.

Ideas

• A 30-day drawing challenge with simple daily themes
• Try a new art form each month
• Recreate a favourite picture in your own style
• Swap prompts with a friend

Learning something new is one of the NHS’s five steps to mental wellbeing. You don’t need classes or exams if they don’t appeal to you.

Places to look

• Public libraries (many run free craft, writing and art clubs)
• Community centers and senior centers
• Parks and recreation departments
• Local museums and galleries (many have free days or classes)
• Faith communities and cultural centers
• Community colleges and adult education programs

Murals, quilts, community gardens, public performances and neighbourhood art walks let people create together and leave something for others to enjoy. Giving to others is one of the NHS’s five steps to better wellbeing.

Ideas

• Volunteer at a community arts event
• Join or start a neighbourhood mural or chalk art day
• Make cards for a care home or hospital
• Teach a craft you know to others

Traditional crafts, music, dance, storytelling and cooking keep cultures alive and pass wisdom between generations. Learning a craft from an elder, or teaching one to a child, can build pride and belonging.

Ideas

• A lunchtime sketch or craft club at work
• Creative corners in classrooms and waiting rooms
• Art and music sessions in senior living and care homes
• Displaying people’s work to celebrate effort, not just skill

The WHO review encourages more arts participation at personal, community and national levels, and more partnerships between the arts and health sectors.

Try saying

• “I’m doing some colouring tonight. Want to join?”
• “There’s a free pottery class Saturday. Fancy trying it with me?”
• “Want to go on a photo walk?”

If they say no, that’s okay. Keep inviting now and then without pressure.

Helpful responses

• “Tell me about it.”
• “What was it like to make this?”
• “I love how much feeling is in this.”

Try to avoid

• Analysing what their art “means” about their mental health
• Critiquing skill unless they ask for feedback
• Sharing their work without permission

If their art or writing makes you worried about their safety, gently ask how they are doing, and help them reach support.

Ideas

• Give a small art kit or a nice notebook
• Offer to drive them to a class
• Watch the kids so they can have an hour to create
• Sign up for a class together

Supporting someone who is struggling can be tiring. Making time for your own creative outlet can help you recharge, so you can keep showing up.