When was the last time you picked up a paintbrush, wrote a poem, or danced like no one was watching?
In today’s fast-paced, performance-driven society, self-expression often takes a back seat. Yet, creativity is a vital tool for improving mental health, emotional wellbeing, and resilience—for children, teenagers, and adults alike.
At Let’s Talk Better CIC, we believe that arts, crafts, and creative movement are not luxuries. They are essential for mental wellness. Whether you’re dealing with stress, anxiety, low mood, or social isolation, creative activities can offer powerful emotional support.
Creativity and Mental Health: More Than Just a Hobby
A landmark 2019 review by the WHO (World Health Organisation) analysed over 900 studies. It concluded that engaging with the arts can significantly improve mental health and emotional wellbeing.
Proven Benefits of the Creative Arts:
- Reduced anxiety, stress, and depression
- Increased self-esteem and emotional expression
- Enhanced empathy and communication skills
- Stronger social inclusion and community connection
“Art is an effective tool for promoting good health and preventing illness.” – WHO
So why is creative wellbeing still undervalued in education, workplaces, and health systems?
What Counts as Creative Arts?
Creativity isn’t just about painting. The creative arts encompass a wide range of expressive outlets:
Type of Creative Activity | Examples |
🎨 Visual Arts | Drawing, painting, sculpture, collage |
✂️ Crafts | Jewellery-making, origami, sewing, model-building |
🎭 Drama & Acting | Role-play, theatre, improvisation |
🎶 Music | Singing, songwriting, playing instruments |
📝 Creative Writing | Poetry, journaling, storytelling, script writing |
💃 Movement & Dance | Expressive dance, physical theatre, mindful movement |
📸 Photography & Digital Media | Film, zines, digital storytelling |
Each form allows individuals to process emotions and explore identity. They can express themselves in a way that traditional therapy or academics often can’t.
Creative Expression for All Ages and Backgrounds
Creativity supports mental health across all life stages:
- Children process emotions through drawing, play, and imagination.
- Teenagers navigate identity and relationships through music, poetry, or movement.
- Adults use journaling or crafting for mindfulness and stress relief.
- Older people rediscover purpose, joy, and memory recall through storytelling and song.
At Let’s Talk Better, we’ve seen:
- Non-verbal children express emotions through dance and art.
- Isolated seniors build connections through poetry and painting.
- Teens with academic challenges thrive when given creative outlets.
👉 Creative wellbeing is universal—accessible, empowering, and inclusive.
Reducing Mental Health Stigma Through Art
Stigma remains one of the biggest barriers to mental health support. Creativity offers a safe, stigma-free way to open conversations.
How Creativity Breaks Down Barriers:
🎭 Drama allows exploration of topics like anxiety, bullying, and gender identity in a safe, fictional context.
📝 Poetry and journaling give individuals a private way to think about trauma, grief, or mental health struggles.
🎶 Music bridges generational and cultural divides, promoting shared emotional understanding.
🎨 Art can express complex emotions that words cannot—offering a powerful outlet for healing.
Through art, we tell our stories. We make the invisible visible.
Not Every Mind is Academic—And That’s Okay
Society often prioritises academic success over creativity. But not every child—or adult—learns or expresses themselves the same way.
Some thrive in science and maths. Others shine in music or drama.
Yet even though the UK’s creative industries generate over £125 billion annually and support over 2.5 million jobs, creative subjects in schools are being cut back.
It’s time to nurture creative strengths with the same priority as literacy and numeracy—for both educational development and mental health.
Real-Life Impact: Creative Wellbeing in Action
At Let’s Talk Better CIC, we witness the impact of creative wellbeing every day:
- Neurodivergent children build confidence and communication through group storytelling.
- Primary school craft clubs reduce lunchtime conflicts and improve peer relationships.
- Youth mural projects open up conversations about mental health in schools and communities.
- Poetry in care homes helps older adults reconnect with memories and reduce loneliness.
Creativity doesn’t just entertain—it empowers, heals, and connects.
How You Can Promote Creative Wellbeing
Whether you’re a parent, teacher, youth worker, or mental health professional, here are ways to champion creative expression:
Take Action:
- Normalise creativity as a mental health strategy—not just a hobby.
- Provide access to creative tools in classrooms, workplaces, and homes.
- Host creative wellbeing workshops, art days, and open mic events.
- Celebrate all forms of creativity—not just traditional ‘talent’.
- Create safe spaces where people of all ages can express themselves without judgment.
Final Thought
Could Creativity Be the Key to Emotional Healing?
Imagine if the next mental health breakthrough doesn’t happen in a clinic. It can happen in a paint-splattered studio, a journal page, or a shared dance.
Let’s stop asking “Are you academic?” and start asking:
“What’s your creative voice—and how can we help it thrive?”
Because everyone—regardless of age, background, or ability—deserves to be seen, heard, and supported. And creative wellbeing is just the bridge to better mental health for all.
📣 Join the Creative Wellbeing Movement
At Let’s Talk Better CIC, we deliver creative mental health workshops across schools, youth centres, and community spaces. Our sessions range from crafting for confidence to movement for emotional release, and journaling for wellbeing.
🎧 Listen to my podcast on Let’s Talk Clarity:
📌 Episode 154 “Nurturing Creativity – The Power of Arts & Crafts for Mental Wellbeing”
Available on YouTube
👉 Get in touch to bring our creative wellbeing programmes to your school, group, or organisation. letstalkbetter@yahoo.com
Together, let’s change the way we talk about mental health—through creativity, connection, and compassion.
Author Zeenat Noorani – The Clarity Coach I Co-founder & Director of Let’s Talk Better CIC
