Creative Therapy

Creative Therapy

I learnt something new today. I found out about something called ‘Creative Therapy’. Now I don’t know much about it, only that it is used by people who suffer from various forms of depression and anxiety and I really like the idea.

You are supposed to find a creative outlet, such as music, art or even writing, and then escape into your own world. Apparently doing something creative gets the imaginative juices flowing and we end up in a world if our own. The idea is that, although when mulling around one’s own mind we tend to be a pessimistic lot, being creative is a positive thing. We are making something, and no matter how hard we try, it is very difficult to be negative when doing something as positive as that. Plus when we finish a project and have 'created' something, we have a wonderful feeling of fulfilment. That’s the theory anyway. There are hundreds of ways to be creative, and I imagine it can be hard to try and think of one which is right for you, especially if suffering from severe depression. But I say give it a go. I have my creative past-time, and that’s obviously writing.

 There’s another type of therapy, writing. Not just the ‘being creative’ part that we discussed, but the keeping of a diary. Some people do it publically in a blog like me, but others prefer to keep their details secret. But getting your daily thoughts and emotions down on paper is supposed to help you get your head in order. Maybe I should try it? I do have a blog, obviously, but not a diary type one, not one where I can get my daily thoughts and emotions down. It’s always worth a try. I suppose you don’t even have to write a diary. If you are more artistically inclined, you could draw or paint a picture that displays how you feel that particular day and keep a picture diary. Or instead of writing about the events of the day, if you can play an instrument, write down the song or melody you played that demonstrates how you feel. If you are learning an instrument, then write down your progress and how learning makes you feel. I only touched on the three main types of creative activity but there are many others. Cake decorating, scrap booking and woodwork to name a few.

Have any of you lot discovered creative therapy? Did it work for you? What kind of creative outlets do you have? I know I’ve gone a bit off topic from my usual literary focus, but I really wanted to discuss this issue, as I feel many could benefit from it.

Read, follow, comment and enjoy. M x