When was the last time you fueled the fires of your creative spirit? Do you feel like you’ve been stuck in a rut or a cyclical routine, or just looking at the same four walls for too long? Maybe it’s time to shake things up, both in your daily activities and in your home. There are many benefits of a fresh approach -- embracing creativity won’t just change your home, it will change your life!
It’s been proven that creativity is directly tied to our health and longevity. A long-term study, published in the “Journal of Aging and Health”, concluded that of all our personality traits, only creativity offers significant life-extending benefits. People who demonstrated above-average creativity seized a 12% decrease in mortality risk over an 18-year period.
If you’ve ever said, “I’m not creative,” you’re mistaken. Being creative is a trait that every person on the planet is born with, but we all express it in different ways. Of course, painting, sculpting, and other art forms are easy ways to seize these health benefits, but creativity is much broader than that. You are creative when you pick out an outfit for the day, cook a new recipe, whistle a tune, play a board game, or make a sandcastle with your grandkids at the beach.
Even passive enjoyment of the arts is good for your health. Researchers have found that observing great nature and art both boost the immune system. In other words, seeing the Grand Canyon, visiting the Sistine Chapel, or listening to Ave Maria all have the ability to lower levels of chemicals that cause inflammation and can trigger diabetes, heart attacks, arthritis, Alzheimer's, and other illnesses.
Ageist messaging within your culture tries to convince you that creativity has an age limit. The truth is that you can become more creative as you age. When you were young, creativity was likely part of the everyday curriculum in school. You likely drew, danced, sang, acted, wrote poems, and played musical instruments. But eventually, unless you showed exceptional ability, society stopped encouraging you to fuel your creative fire.
An easy place to start is by looking for ways to freshen up your home, especially if you are planning on going through a life transition to a new house or community. Here are a few ideas on how to be creative in your own living space.
1. Break out the paint
You may not be Picasso, but it can be easy and fun to freshen up your walls with a new paint color, or even try creating an accent wall in a featured room.
2. Capture magic moments
A great way to act creatively is through photography. You don’t need to have an expensive camera to capture the magic moments in your life. Get outside with loved ones and use the camera on your smartphone or tablet to take new photographs, which can be printed, framed, and hung throughout your house.
3. Add character with antiques
It’s now easier than ever to go antiquing! Caring Transitions has created an online auction platform, CTBIDS, where you can browse thousands of estate sale items that would add a touch of character in your home. Not only will it brighten your day, but it is a great way to honor the legacy and memories held in someone else’s cherished items.
4. Create a project space
Whether it’s for art, music, writing, reading, games, or more, it will be easier to think creatively if you have a designated space to free your mind. If you don’t have a spare bedroom to use, maybe there’s a corner in a room or space on your porch or in the garage.
5. Find inspiration to color outside the lines
The beauty of embracing the beauty in your home is that you can always arrange, rearrange, and rearrange again! As you try to think differently to give your home a fresh, unique look, take inspiration from those who have done it themselves. There are countless design ideas on social sites like Pinterest, Instagram, and more, that will have you creating new displays your friends and family will be envious of.