4 Benefits of Using Creative Expression as an Emotional Outlet
Creativity is more than just a skill or a characteristic of someone. It can be a very valuable asset when it comes to supporting your mental health. It can be used as an emotional outlet and a self-care tactic. Expressing yourself creatively can work to your advantage to help you do things like identify and process your emotions, and gain an understanding of what you're going through.
Artistic expression is always available to you wherever you are and whenever you’re in need of an emotional self-care boost. Find an artistic or creative activity that makes you FEEL. Something that when you’re done with it, you feel a weight lifted off your shoulders. There are different activities that work for different people, but no matter what you choose, there are endless benefits.
Self Expression
You may have heard of “art therapy” before. This is a tactic used in a lot of mental health, medical, and educational settings. Art is something that is LITERALLY used by some therapists during sessions with their patients. Why? Because there’s a lot of research out there that shows a major correlation between art therapy and positive improvements of mental health symptoms, such as anxiety and depression.
Art can allow you to express yourself in ways you may not be able to in your everyday routine. And expressing yourself is critical to developing deeper understandings of ourselves. Imagine if we had to hold in every creative and unique aspect of ourselves every single day. That’s pretty detrimental to your mental state. You wouldn’t really be yourself if you couldn’t express yourself. We need an outlet to survive and thrive.
2. Emotional Release
Creative expression is not only an effective way to release your emotions, but it is also a healthy outlet. We can get so pent up from the regular stresses of life on top of our own individual matters, and finding a way to cope and release that negative energy in a way that’s not harmful to ourselves or others can be difficult. But there are a few different ways to use creativity as an emotional release.
You can paint or draw what you’re feeling and let out that energy on paper. You can sing your heart out and use music and lyrics to comprehend what you’re feeling in order to let it go. You can try dancing to not only release emotional tension but also physical tension. The best activity is one that helps you let that shit go.
3. Boosts Self-Esteem
When I’m expressing myself creatively, I get a boost of dopamine that makes me feel unstoppable. That’s because artistic expression challenges your thinking and gives you a sense of accomplishment. The activities you do can be task-oriented to boost your self-esteem without having the same pressure and stress as a job task or household chore.
Artistic expression also helps you embrace your individuality! That’s the great thing about creativity - there are no rules or standards! You get to use your own uniqueness and imagination to create. You really get to show who you are and what makes you different. That’s something you should embrace and be proud of.
4. Relieves Stress and Anxiety
All of these benefits have tones of one main benefit and that's relieving the feelings of stress and anxietyCreative activities activate the parts of your brain that process emotions, which helps you to understand your thoughts and emotions better. By understanding these feelings better, you can learn ways to cope and deal with them more effectively. Not only are you able to release your emotions and energy through these activities, but they can also give you a sense of control and purpose by allowing you to focus on the task placed in front of you. This enables you to practice mindfulness by being engulfed in the present moment.
If you ever feel like you’re in a “trance” while you’re doing something creative, it’s because you kind of are! You’re only focused on that one thing, rather than the outside stresses of the world - which, in turn, relieves feelings of anxiety.
Practice expressing yourself creatively on a regular basis and use it as one of your go-to self-care tactics. It’s an effective and easy way to nurture your mental health, as using artistic expression is a great emotional outlet. You may start seeing changes in your mindset and your quality of life by taking this small step.
Just a reminder: Art and creative expression are NOT substitutes for therapy. Rather they are great standalone techniques or supplements in addition to therapy; but if you show signs of depression, anxiety, or other similar feelings, make sure to consult your primary care doctor to find the best course of action.
