Photo by Matthew Hamilton on Unsplash
Things have felt kind of screwy the past couple of years. Mostly out of our direct control, on a global scale. Anxiety, depression, anger – what else? – comes from being or feeling unable to control things that are important to us.
It’s been feeling that way to a lot of us. Values and actions we hold dear seem to be eroding. The adage, be the change you want to see in the world feels tiresome; the burden of doing so seems to weigh more and feels endless, with no apparent results to show for it.
If this resonates with you, there is action you can take, and I don’t mean political action. A way you can take back some feeling of control, with a reward at the end.
In 2010, two dudes named Stuckey and Noble reviewed a vast amount of existing literature and research done on creative expression. They found that involvement in the arts and creative expression reduces stress and depression while increasing positive emotions. I’m sure there are hundreds of other, but they happened to be the most recent I read about.
I’m convinced that playing violin has been my all-terrain vehicle when the path is steep and rocky. Creative expression takes us out of ourselves and places it in the books we write, the clay we model, the the meals we prepare, the songs we sing. It’s something bigger than us that loves when we tap into it.
Next time you feel a little helpless, reach for a journal to write in it about anything at all, play a recorder, drums, piano, whatever you have. And do it badly! It’s for your fun and well-being, so feel free to do whateve you want!!
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