Creativity Boost to Your Wellbeing : Why Making Marks Matters

In a world that often feels fast-paced and overwhelming, I think is useful to remember  that creativity is not just about producing beautiful artwork — it is about connection, expression, and wellbeing.

Whether we are sketching, doodling, painting, collaging, dancing, writing, or simply making marks on paper, creative activities can help us slow down, regulate emotions, and reconnect with ourselves and others.

Creativity belongs to everyone and you do not need to be an artist to benefit from it.

Ok but what making marks is, right?

“Making marks” is one of the simplest forms of creative expression.  We don’t have to be artists, well you might one day if there is consistent practice and desire and if we let go certain believes that will prevent it.

By starting to make marks, though we start to connect more with that part of our selves that been conditioned to be perfect, that learned that making mistakes is a ‘’serious offend’’ that being creative is not wise etc.

Making marks will help you to reconnect with your inner child, your playfulness, creativity and yourself.

Making marks can look like: scribbling with charcoal, drawing patterns, painting lines and textures, finger painting, printing with everyday objects, writing freely in a journal, using colour intuitively and so on.

The beauty of mark making is that there is no right or wrong way to do it. The focus is on the process rather than perfection.

For many people, this freedom can feel calming, grounding, and joyful.

The Link Between Creativity and Wellbeing

Research continues to show strong links between creative engagement and improved mental wellbeing.

A 2025 systematic review published in SSM – Population Health found that regular engagement in arts and creative activities was linked with better adolescent mental health and wellbeing. Researchers highlighted that music, visual arts, and creative participation can support emotional regulation and reduce internalising symptoms such as anxiety.

Another 2025 review published in BMC Public Health explored how creative activities supported adults during periods of stress and isolation. Researchers identified several wellbeing benefits, including:

• Emotional expression
• Reduced stress
• Increased feelings of empowerment
• Improved social connection
• Greater resilience and personal growth

The review concluded that both structured art therapy and informal creativity can positively support mental wellbeing.

Studies into “Arts on Prescription” programmes have also shown encouraging results. These programmes, where healthcare professionals refer people to creative activities, have been linked with improved psychosocial wellbeing and reduced feelings of isolation.

Recent research has even suggested that engaging with art may affect the body physically. A study highlighted by found that viewing original artwork in galleries reduced cortisol levels — the hormone associated with stress.

Why Mark Making Can Feel So Calming

When we make marks, we often enter a more mindful state. Repetitive movements, focus, texture, and colour can help quiet racing thoughts and bring attention to the present moment.

Creative activities can also:

• Encourage self-expression without words
• Support emotional processing
• Build confidence through experimentation
• Create moments of play and curiosity
• Reduce pressure to “perform” or “achieve”

Many people describe creative activities as meditative because they allow the brain to focus gently on movement and sensation. Community discussions around crafting and creativity frequently highlight how doodling, stitching, painting, or making with our hands can help reduce stress and create a sense of calm and accomplishment.

Creative Calm Therapy, launched a creative challenge group, that you can find here to encourage that community discussion and engagement. Feel free to join any time.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1306439711589255/people/?should_open_welcome_member_composer=1

 

Creativity Does Not Have to Be Complicated

Being creative can happen in small everyday moments. Here are some accessible ways to explore your creativity.

Try simple mark making

Use pencils, pens, paint, chalk, or pastels to create lines, shapes, and textures without planning the outcome.

Create a collage

Cut out colours, words, or images from magazines and arrange them intuitively.

Use nature creatively

Collect leaves, sticks, or flowers and use them for printing, patterns, or inspiration.

Keep a visual journal

Combine drawing, colour, writing, and reflection in a sketchbook.

Explore mindful colouring

Colouring repetitive patterns can feel grounding and relaxing.

Dance or move creatively

Creativity is not limited to visual art — movement and music are creative forms too.

Create with others

Group creativity can build social connection and reduce feelings of loneliness. Research suggests both solitary and group arts participation can support mental wellbeing.

Creativity for Everyone

One of the most important messages that we want to put out there is that Creativity should not feel exclusive or intimidating and that is for everyone.

Being creative is not about being talented, it is about giving your self-permission to pause, to explore, to express and enjoy the process. We are born with raw ingredients for creativity, such as curiosity, recognition, imagination, pattern recognition, play and the ability. You can see this naturally in children, they make marks before they can write, as adults we might benefit from returning to that same sense of freedom and experimentation.

So when you say to your self ‘’I am not creative’’, stop for a second and reconsider as that is not that you are not creative, but you stopped exercising this ability.

I would like to make a distinction between engaging in creative activities and engaging in creative therapy.

Creative activities are everyday practices that encourage self-expression, imagination, and the development of creative skills. These might include drawing, painting, writing, photography, music, crafting, dance, or other artistic pursuits. Engaging in these activities can promote enjoyment, relaxation, personal growth, problem-solving, and creative confidence. While creative activities may have positive effects on wellbeing, their primary purpose is not necessarily therapeutic.

Creative therapy, on the other hand, is a structured therapeutic process facilitated by a trained professional, such as a counsellor, psychotherapist, or creative arts therapist. In creative therapy, the focus extends beyond the act of creating itself. The artwork, drawing, writing, or other creative expression becomes a starting point for reflection, exploration, and discussion. The therapist helps the individual explore the personal meanings, emotions, memories, and experiences that may be represented in their creative work. Through this process, clients can gain deeper self-awareness, process difficult emotions, and work towards therapeutic goals within a safe and supportive environment.

While both creative activities and creative therapy involve creativity and self-expression, the key distinction lies in the intention and the presence of a therapeutic relationship. Creative activities are primarily focused on the creative process itself, whereas creative therapy uses the creative process as a tool for psychological exploration, emotional processing, and personal healing.

As awareness around mental health and wellbeing continues to grow, creativity is increasingly being recognised not as a luxury, but as an important part of human wellbeing and connection.

Pick up a pen, a brush, or a piece of chalk — and just begin making marks.

Humans seem to be born with the raw ingredients for creativity: curiosity, pattern-recognition, imagination, play, and the ability to combine ideas in new ways. You can see it in how children invent games, make up stories, ask weird questions, and experiment constantly.

What differs is:

• Temperament: some people naturally lean more exploratory or open-ended.
• Environment: encouragement, safety to experiment, exposure to ideas, and time to play all matter a lot.
• Practice: creativity is very trainable. It works a lot like a muscle.
• Beliefs: if someone grows up thinking “I’m not creative,” they often stop exercising that capacity.

A useful way to think about it:

Creativity isn’t a rare trait some people possess. It’s a basic human capacity that gets developed, neglected, constrained, or expanded.

Even fields that seem “non-creative” — engineering, business, science, problem-solving — rely on creativity. For example, Albert Einstein talked about imagination being central to scientific discovery, not just technical skill.

So if you’re really asking “If I don’t feel creative, does that mean I wasn’t born with it?” — probably not. It usually means that part of your mind hasn’t been exercised or given the right conditions to show up.