There are plenty of reasons to try out something new even if you're not good at it. "Engaging with arts and crafts is accessible and affordable. Options such as knitting and drawing require very few tools and can be engaging and creatively fulfilling activities," says Dr. Helen Keyes, cognitive psychologist and head of the school of psychology and sport science at Anglia Ruskin University.
A study by Keyes and fellow researchers has shown that engaging in creative activities can significantly boost well-being by providing meaningful spaces for expression and achievement.
The scientists used data from a major national survey in the UK between 2019 and 2020 to investigate how creative activities might be impacting life satisfaction, controlling for variables known to affect well-being, such as gender, age group, health, employment status, and deprivation.
In total, the researchers analyzed a sample of 7,182 participants aged 16 and over from the annual Taking Part survey conducted by the UK’s Department for Culture, Media, and Sport, which explores how the public engages with these activities.
Keyes says, "We kept our analysis to arts and crafting at a broad level, rather than focusing on specific hobbies, as we know that people's preferences vary and they will find the craft or creative activity that works best for them."
More than 37% of respondents confirmed they had taken part in at least one craft activity over the last year, and they showed more happiness and a sense of life being worthwhile.
"All forms of art can be beneficial in boosting mental health. [These] benefits include [an] increase in self-esteem, reduction in anxiety/stress, improving communication, and fostering creativity," agrees Dr. Frank Clark, a psychiatrist with Prisma Health and a poet, who wasn't involved in the study.
Keyes suggests that not just individuals, but the broader society should make use of these benefits. "Governments and national health services might consider funding and promoting crafting or even socially prescribing these activities for at-risk populations as part of a promotion and prevention approach to well-being and mental health," the psychologist explains.
"Engaging with crafting is something that is relatively easy to introduce into your life."
If you don't think of yourself as particularly capable, Clark has four suggestions to tap into your creative side:
- Reframe your thinking to be optimistic about your potential;
- Do not be afraid to take risks to try a new activity. As you can see from the pictures, everyone has to start somewhere;
- Foster relationships with people who are in a creative space that are interesting to you;
- And think about what you did creatively as a child and do it again.
