Fostering a creative outlet and dedicating time to nurture it can significantly enhance your life in numerous ways. Here are several reasons why everyone should consider engaging in creative activities for at least 20 minutes a day:

​

1. **Improves Mental Health**

 

Have you ever noticed the stress melt away from playing piano, painting, coloring, baking, or even just listening to music? According to many studies, engaging in creative activities can act as a form of therapy, helping to alleviate anxiety, stress, and depression. The repetitive motions involved in activities like drawing, knitting, or playing an instrument can serve as a meditation, calming the mind and allowing for a break from negative thought patterns.

​

2. **Boosts Brain Function**

 

Just like the second step in my Power Playlist, creativity serves as a key to unleashing our minds. With music, I've harnessed original ideas and innovative solutions. This creative approach has enabled me to entertain large audiences worldwide, secure recording sessions at Abbey Road Studios at no cost, among other things. 

 

Creative engagement stimulates the brain, leading to improved problem-solving skills and cognitive function. This mental stimulation can contribute to a sharper mind and a reduction in cognitive decline associated with aging.

​
 

3. **Enhances Emotional Intelligence**

 

I've said this time and again. Composing and creating forces us to see the world from a brand new perspective. It allows us to see through someone else's eyes.

 

Participating in the arts can heighten emotional intelligence by fostering empathy and understanding. Music, for instance, is known as the language of emotion, helping individuals articulate and comprehend their feelings more deeply.

​

4. **Improves Self-Expression and Communication**

 

I've always struggled with expressing my emotions through conversations. I turned to music and the arts to release my most suppressed emotions.

 

Creative activities provide a non-verbal mode of expression that can be particularly beneficial for those who find it difficult to express themselves verbally. This can lead to improved communication skills and self-expression, fostering a better understanding among individuals.

​

5. **Stimulates Creativity and Innovation**

 

We have a lot of problems in our world. But we also have the capacity to solve them through innovation. We were all born to innovate. If we aren't creating solutions on a daily basis, we're not fully reaching out potential. 

​

Regular engagement with creative tasks can stimulate innovation and creative thinking, translating to other areas of life, including problem-solving in work-related tasks or everyday challenges.

 

6. **Increases Resilience and Ability to Handle Failure**

​

My Power Playlist has helped me bounce back from my lowest lows as well as my almosts. It has been my greatest tool for resilience and the secret to my success! 

​

Engaging in creative endeavors teaches perseverance and resilience. The process of creating something, facing challenges, and occasionally failing, helps individuals develop a healthy relationship with failure, viewing it as a part of the learning and growth process rather than something to be avoided.

 

7. **Provides a Sense of Accomplishment**

 

Because we were born to innovate, any time we do, we get the sense that we are fulfilling our potential. The more often we create, the better we feel.

 

Completing a creative project provides a tangible outcome that can enhance one's sense of accomplishment and boost self-esteem, contributing to overall well-being and happiness.

 

8. **Encourages Mindfulness and Presence**

 

It's so easy to run wild with our emotions. So many people react without thinking on social media based on erroneous assumptions. We've stirred this pot of fury for years, we've forgotten the importance of finding our balance before we respond. Music has always helped me settle my mood so I can deal with problems and arguments with a cool head. 

 

Creative activities require a level of focus and presence that can act as a form of mindfulness practice, helping individuals stay rooted in the present moment and reducing ruminations about the past or worries about the future.

 

9. **Fosters Connection with Others**

 

Music brings people together. We dance, we sing, we listen. All creative outlets do. When we create, we always feel an immediate desire to share what we created. Sharing the beauty we composed helps lift others around us, inspiring them to do the same. 

​

Sharing creative works or engaging in creative activities with others can foster connections, providing a sense of belonging and reducing feelings of isolation. Music and arts are powerful tools for bringing people together, creating shared experiences that bridge differences.

 

10. **Contributes to Emotional Release**

 

Music has always helped me "Release the Beast." This is such an important step that so many overlook. We can't solve our problems with bottled-up emotions that are weighing us down.

 

Creative expression serves as an outlet for releasing pent-up emotions, providing a healthy way to process and release feelings. Music, in particular, can be both a source of solace and a means of expressing emotions that might otherwise be hard to articulate.

​

Engaging in a creative outlet not only enriches personal life but also contributes to professional and social aspects, making it a worthwhile investment of one's time and energy.