How creativity changed my life- and how it could change yours!
I don't know about you, but I really think our world is becoming increasingly stressful. Or at least, the potential for stress in our lives in increasing.
We have so much technology, literally right at our fingertips, which is designed to help us save time and be more productive, but I think all it really does is provide more distractions. People can contact us on what feels like a million messaging platforms, we have bills to pay digitally, and thousands of social media notifications. So. Much. Noise.
With that in mind, self care has never been more important, and honestly, if you haven't got a creative hobby as part of your self care regime, then I highly recommend that you try!
Don't you tell me you're not creative! You totally are!
When was the last time you did something creative, just for fun?
For me, creativity is a huge part of who I am. But that doesn't mean my creative outlets have always been the same. In fact, they've changed quite a lot over the years. I've engaged in drawing, painting, sculpting, model making (Ok yeah, I did that as a job...Maybe it doesn't count!), textiles (I particularly love Batik!), photography, paper crafts....The list goes on, and I'm probably missing something to be honest!
In fact, starting a new creative hobby is exactly how I 'fell' into jewellery making.
It wasn't really a planned career move, and there was never any serious intention to it when I first started out. Quite simply, I had a period in my early twenties where I was ill and suffering with chronic stress. The situation was really starting to get to me, and although I spent as much of my spare time as I could drawing and painting, I really felt I needed a new creative hobby to get into, and to distract me from the slump I was in. I needed something new to get excited about.
I fell into the huge, magnificent and addictive realm of silversmithing...And I've never looked back!
Of course, you don't have to set up a whole business from your new hobby like I did (but you might, and I know plenty of people who have done just that!) But there are so many benefits to adding a creative hobby into your life.
Here are just a few reasons to explore a creative endeavour, and take some much needed time out: 
1) It's an opportunity to meet new people. If you're feeling a bit stuck in a rut, and you need something new to get your teeth into, then there are somany local art, craft, music and drama groups that I bet you can find one in your local area. Can't find one you like? Why not start one yourself? Creative groups can be a really rewarding way to socialise, and an excellent opportunity to share new ideas and creative methods. You get not to only boost your creativity, but also widen your circle of friends!
2) It gives you that opportunity you need to finally relax in times of stress. It's a crazy world out there. Between jobs, kids, husbands, wives, family, cars, health, money, and everything in between, it can feel like there is so much going on in our day-to-day life. Scheduling in a little time to be creative can make all the difference, and leave you feeling refreshed and ready to tackle the day ahead. I have used creativity on so many occassions, to try a relieve stress, and it really does work! Just 20 minutes of creative escapism is all you need to take your stress levels down...But, if you have more than 20 minutes to spare, then why stop there?
3) Creativity actually makes you happy. It really does, apparently it's scientifically proven. Indulging in a creative pastime has been shown to help us release dopamine in the brain, which is a natural anti-depressant. So that's why you actually DO feel so much happier once youv'e spent some time gardening, or writing, or knitting (probably not knitting for me, I'm terrible at knitting!). And as an added bonus, you get to look back at the time you've spent busily creating, and feel even more happy as you admire all the awesome things you've managed to create!
4) Creativity is an excellent form of self care. If you've ever found yourself over-worked and burnt out, then you're probably all too familiar with how important self care is. We all need to schedule time to take care of ourselves, indulge in something fun or a little luxurious, and reward ourselves for all the hard work we've been putting in. The beauty of having a creative project that you look forward to completing, is that scheduling that time becomes oh-so easy! You get home from work every day looking forward to spending another 30 minutes working on that painting or writing that piece of music. Its super easy to make a creative hobby a fun, rewarding and interesting part of your self-care routine. 
5) Creativity helps you process emotions. There's a reason art is an integral part of therapy! Being creative has long been known to have huge emotional connections. Many people (myself included), find creativity a very effective way of dealing with emotions, particularly in times of trouble or loss. That being said, it doesn't really matter what the emotion is, whether it be happiness, loss, depression, anxiety, excitement...You can always make amazing art out of it! And be sure to have a look back at your work, and see how it differs depending on how you're feeling!
And remember, there are so many different ways to be creative; drawing, painting, making, knitting, baking, gardening, designing, cake decorating, cooking, crochet, writing, acting, dancing, singing....If you've always wanted to try one of these, then now is the time!
Which creative endeavour are you going to choose first?
If you want to check out my hobby-turned-business, then head on over to https://www.gemmatremayne.com/collections and have a look at my work...Let me know what you think of it!
In the meantime...HAPPY CREATING! I can't wait to see what you get up to!
Gemma
x
Leave a comment
Comments will be approved before showing up.
Also in News
Why are we drawn to the Ocean?
Life has so many ups and downs, just like waves in the ocean. Sometimes it's hard to see over some of the bigger waves, but being by the sea and seeing it's magnitude can make us realise how lucky we are to even be here at all.
