Creativity is good for the soul.
Even though I earned an art degree over 20 years ago, I went years without doing any kind of creative pursuit beyond any random doodle or graphic design thing for work.
Several years ago, I started exploring new hobbies, starting with knitting and fell in love with it. It was the perfect thing to occupy my restless ADHD mind and hands while on a long car drive or watching tv. And then the pandemic hit. Having an immunocompromised husband meant that the isolation and stress not only dragged on and on, but it also brought monotony and languishing.
Adam Grant defined languishing in his 2021 New York Times article as “a sense of stagnation and emptiness. It feels as if you’re muddling through your days, looking at your life through a foggy windshield.” This definitely hits the nail on the head for me.
This “emotional long-haul of the pandemic” spurred me to seek out more fun and enjoyment in my life beyond FC Dallas soccer games, reading, and watching tv.
I had been doing graphic design work for myself and fit pro friends for a while, so art was a natural direction. I missed it. I looked for local classes – ceramics, painting, drawing, photography, and so on. While I could go online and find free tutorials on Pinterest or take an online class or learn from a book, I knew that I would never follow through or do anything on a regular basis. I knew an in-person class was the way to go. Plus, getting out of the house more could only be a good thing.
So, for the past 9-10 months, I’ve been taking a weekly drawing/painting class on Thursday mornings and taken a few one-off workshops and 6-week classes in ceramics, alcohol and ink painting, and still life drawing. I’ve had a lot of fun, made progress with my skills, and met some great people.
I still have to deal with pandemic precautions (while watching everyone else seemingly live their lives like it never existed), so I still struggle more frequently than I would like. But this one change has made a big difference in my overall mood and mental health.
I recommend to all my clients (+ everyone I know!) to find something fun to add to their life. Something that doesn’t have work or productivity or stress or expectations attached to it. Something that you can just explore and enjoy to recharge your batteries.
Maybe that’s a dance class, guitar lessons, hiking, bird watching, coloring in a curse word-filled adult coloring book, writing poetry, joining a bowling league, fishing, doing really bad Pinterest DIY crafts, learning a new language, building Lego sets, refinishing furniture, or taking a cooking class. The possibilities are endless. Think about something you enjoyed doing as a kid, browse Pinterest, or Google “hobbies.” Check out these links for ideas: BuzzFeed / List of 1000+ Hobbies
Not only do you get to learn something new (or get reacquainted with an old hobby), but you can also connect with other like-minded people, which is a very good thing for mental health.