Does Creativity Lead to Better Health?

"It doesn’t matter if you are painting, writing poetry, journaling, sketching, or making pottery — the simple and timeless act of creating something out of nothing, and operating from that quiet and primordial place within you, initiates changes within your body." - Joel Le Blanc

The TLC International Art School in Wellington, New Zealand has recently published a feature article of mine detailing the links between creativity and health, and the scientific research that proves the link. I studied at TLC several years ago during a very difficult time in both my personal life and in my health, so it somehow feels that I have come full circle to have published this article for them in particular.

This is a very exciting time for me in my professional life and I just hope that this article, and future articles to come in this area, may help some people in their journey. 

TED Video On Mind/Body

"The body speaks to us in whispers, and if we ignore the whispers, the body starts to yell." - Lissa Rankin, MD. 

Watch this TED video on the connections between the mind, creativity, and physical health. Lissa Rankin, doctor and professional artist, is a great speaker with a lot of important points to make in this video.

 Creative block, loss of connection to self, and ignoring your intuition can all easily lead to health problems, and this speech is a timely reminder how important it is to take a holistic approach to one's health and well-being.

You can also visit Lissa's blog on personal growth and health at Owning Pink.

Creativity, Reading, and Eye-Strain

Well, now I've done it.
I've got eye-strain and it hurts like hell. Every time I so much as blink, it feels as though I've been lifting weights with my eyelids at the gym, and I forgot to do stretches afterwards. For me eye-strain is probably one of the top health hazards of being a writer. Normally it isn't an issue, but during weeks like this one -- late nights reading and editing articles, working 10 hour days at the computer, and spending my entire day off reading "The Painted Boy" by Charles De Lint -- usually leads to me walking up looking like I've had a stroke or something.

What's the cure? Well, usually time. Plus some eye exercises and lots of breaks away from the computer. Going for walks and focusing on trees and buildings in the distance usually helps. Also, taking a break from reading novels often does the trick, too.

It's painful to stop reading though, isn't it? -- especially when you are currently enthralled in the characters, the world, the language of a particularly good book. Julia Cameron, author of "The Artist's Way", actually recommends that writers and artists take time away from reading books. It's part of the process of breaking through creative blocks and unleashing potential. Television, books, news, articles, friends -- we are always TAKING IN information and ideas.

According to Julia Cameron,  we should stop stuffing our heads full of 'stuff' for at least a week, and get quiet and real to the voices, the fluxes, the ebbs of our inner selves. That is where our creativity is. That is where our art comes from. From the well inside of our hearts -- and if we plunge into it -- like the protagonist in the Grimm's fairy-tale "Mother Holle" -- we find another world, entirely different to the one we live in everyday, with its own magic, hardship and journeying.

Perhaps my body is telling me something.

Five Reasons Why You Should Exercise

 A teacher once told me that if he could have put the benefits of exercise into a pill and sell it, he'd have been rich -- and he was right. Whether you are working in a studio, toiling away at a computer, or staring blankly at a notebook, as a creative person one of the most important keys to wellness (and the one of the easiest things to forget to do) is exercise. Being physically active is a powerful process for the mind, body and soul -- and when done regularly, you will notice significant improvements in your health, and in your creativity.

Natural Coffee Alternatives

You! Put down that cup of coffee! Yes, YOU!

Artists, writers and, well, people everywhere often drink a lot more coffee than they really should. Why not, you ask? Well, you have a point. It increases energy, focus, metabolism, and just tastes darn delicious.

But how much is too much coffee? Health Canada published an excellent article in 2006 detailing just how much caffeine is recommended for different members of the population. I believe most people try to keep their coffee intake within reason, but time and time again I've also talked to people who say

Nursery Rhymes and Learning

I remember quite clearly the long, happy nights as a child laying next to my parents while one of them read to me. Mother Goose Tales, Nursery Rhymes, Aesop's Fables -- I treasured those thick, brightly water-colored volumes of tales that my parents bring to life each night before bed.