Since becoming a mother, between the busy days and long nights, I have always loved watching my children get creative. With that little sparkle in their eyes, I love seeing how genuinely happy they are creating something special. When I was a child, my most memorable times included building a go-cart (attempting one anyway), making various recipes with anything we could find outdoors, making up a dance routine to our favorite song, or building a fort. These memories are by far some of the happiest times I had as a child. Now, I get to have my children experience a similar excitement. It made me reflect on my creative outlets as an adult.
I dedicate time to doing all types of creative activities with my children but this past year I focused on integrating more creativity into my own routine. Since I was young, I have always loved anything artsy, playing the piano, reading, and writing. Having a creative outlet or simply a hobby as a part of our self-care routine is just as valuable as the activities our children partake in for their growth and development. As parents we focus on all the experiences our children need to help them become well-rounded humans, but what about us as mothers? Just because we are not children doesn’t mean we don’t need or deserve the same opportunities for ourselves.
Some fun and creative activities you can try out:
- Art class or simply drawing/painting at home
- Writing in a journal
- Gardening
- Playing an instrument
- Knitting
- Dance class
- DIY House Projects
- Cooking/Baking
- Candle Making
My Creative Outlets
Since joining Central Mass Mom as a contributing writer, I have LOVED what I can do within this community. Writing always felt so natural to me and over the past year, I have realized how much joy I get from writing. I find it calming and relaxing to get whatever I am passionate about typed out into a blog post, while also clearing my head and focusing on what I am writing about.
Over the past few months, I have tried new recipes while cooking dinner and started baking something sweet. I have even been spending time creating watercolor paintings with my son. He wanted new pictures for the frames in his room, so he asked me to watercolor the characters he wanted. Not only did I get to be creative, but I also got to spend quality time with my little guy.
If I am not able to carve out the time to do what I want on my own, I find it even more enjoyable to involve my kids. Even getting outside in nature and being creative with my kids is a simple joy of mine
Improve your Mental Health
Utilizing various hobbies as my creative outlets has been a great way for me to have some self-care. Spending just a few hours a week working on a project gives me such simple satisfaction. Engaging in creative outlets allows your brain to shut off the outside stressors of life and just be in the moment. For me, it allows my mind to slow down and truly enjoy a simple moment where I can just be. It is truly mentally and emotionally nourishing.
By engaging in creative activities, research shows that you can relieve stress and anxiety while also improving your mood. The creative process allows us to focus on something fun and challenging, as well as allowing us to increase connections within our brains. Your brain also releases the feel-good hormone dopamine which gives us a sense of well-being.
Just Have Fun
The most important thing about being creative is feeling the joy of doing something you love. It isn’t always about the finished product but how you felt in the process. Make it easy, make it fun, and don’t be afraid to try something new.
Feel free to share creative projects you love to do with us @centralmassmom!
