Scrolling through social media today, I saw a hashtag for World Poetry Day. I’m no poet, but I had made a few attempts at haiku, inspired by my dog, and thought that maybe I would share one.
As I mulled over this very big decision–fretful about putting myself out there in this way–I was lucky enough to find the #haikufeels feed on Bluesky. It seemed a very friendly and safe place to post something I was not super confident about. The little 17-syllable jot was warmly received, as was the picture I posted with it. (It is also the featured photo in this post and the inspiration for a painting that now hangs in my living room.)
The whole experience got me thinking about the necessity of following one’s creative impulses, wherever they might lead.
Whether it’s visual arts, writing, music, or performing arts, creative activities have so many benefits:
- Creative pursuits are good for emotional and mental health and can help reduce anxiety and stress.
- Learning new things can help stave off cognitive decline.
- If you take a class, you can meet new people.
- If you try something you’ve never done before, you can build confidence.
- And starting one activity might lead you to others, continuing the cycle of creativity and the rewards it brings.
It can be hard to find the right mindset, to let go and embrace creativity. It helps to revert to the attitude we all had as kids, of not being afraid to jump in and get your hands dirty with paint or clay, strike a discordant note on an instrument, or fumble through a new dance routine.
Taking that leap might not be easy at first. As my haiku experience taught me, shyness and self-consciousness can hold us back, fear of not succeeding can stop us in our tracks, and the pressure to not “waste” time can be immense.
But the beauty of creativity is that it doesn’t have to result in anything. You don’t have to publish, produce, or perform for an audience. As others have said (more elegantly than me) it’s the exploring and discovering that matter–the doing, trying, learning, and enjoying. And none of that constitutes a waste of time.
We are living in a very strange time. The news is perpetually bleak. AI is usurping human creativity both by stealing from creators and promoting chatbots as the “better” way to write, design, and even generate ideas. And external pressure to be all business, all the time can deter us from letting our minds wander and giving our creative impulses free rein.
Creativity allows us to breathe, pause the frenetic pace of our crazy world, and do something for sheer enjoyment. It is the antidote we all need.
Photo of lake by Crystal Smith.