Friday, March 29, 2024
Home Women Business News How Embracing Your Inner Artist Can Relieve Stress And Make You Better...

How Embracing Your Inner Artist Can Relieve Stress And Make You Better At Business


In the context of the last year, perhaps it’s an understatement to say that living in modern times is stressful. Between hyper-connectivity, a constant reel of doomsday news and the persistent pressure to ‘have it all’, it is, at the very least, unsurprising.

Predictably, working women generally experience higher stress levels than men – 50% higher, according to the UK’s latest HSE research, if they’re between 35 and 54 – often because they’re more likely to be doing more unpaid domestic, emotional and parental labour whilst still working just as much. It’s often the pressure to fulfil these different roles – to have the aforementioned but elusive ‘all’ – that leads to a diluted sense of self, a feeling of failure and, ultimately, higher levels of stress.

One of the most pressing issues with this, aside from the obvious health risks, is that stress kills creativity , resulting in less satisfaction, inspiration and productivity at work. This, in turn, often leads to more stress, creating a vicious cycle that can be difficult to break out of.

“As working women, we all balance career and personal life and if last year taught us anything, it was the importance of self-care and it’s direct correlation to work performance,” says creativity expert and abstract expressionist artist Jessica Hughes.

Having been in the art world for over twenty years, Jessica has sold her own works, opened galleries and worked with children’s hospitals to offer art classes to patients. Aside from selling her own fine art paintings, she now also helps entrepreneurs unlock their own creativity through therapeutic art practices. As a single working mother of seven, for Jessica, creativity is not just a luxury but a necessity, and she built out this side of her business after discovering the positive impact therapeutic art techniques had on her own life and the lives of those around her:

“I have relied heavily on art as a daily tool for my own mental hygiene because it provides a safe outlet for the whole gamut of my emotional experience to be expressed. This is a healthy coping tool that builds up my ability to handle the stressors of life from a much firmer foundation and an open, curious mindset.”

Finding ways to unlock our often suppressed imagination is, she believes, an act of “self care” and one that is “universally needed” as creating visual is an “active mindfulness practice that allows us to take time away from a deadline driven world.”

Of course, many of us know that freeing up space in our hectic schedules for a little creativity would be beneficial but the extent to which this could actually improve our lives is often underestimated.

“The conscious mind is not as dominant when making art, so the subconscious mind is given more freedom to express itself,” Jessica explains. “It can develop greater self awareness, provide relief from stress, boost self-confidence, and provide a sense of play and freedom for the participant. It provides an alternative way to communicate and explore facets of our personality in greater depth.”

Practicing this kind of experimentation, she says, also helps us develop our creativity. “There are very few outlets in our world where we can experiment in a safe space with no “right or wrong way” to explore. Art is the perfect medium for that,” she explains. “Anytime we give ourselves permission to experience awe and delight, to play like a child, to be curious and experiment, we can walk away feeling relaxed and fulfilled.”

Given the obvious benefits, it’s a wonder more people don’t engage with these practices but fear, Jessica says, often becomes a huge barrier – particularly for those whose creativity was ignored, constrained or not prioritised when they were younger.

“In our culture, society teaches us to be keenly aware of our limitations; any sense of creative resiliency tends to be taught right out of us when we are constantly told the right and wrong way to do things. Actively creating art within a judgement free zone helps us experiment and problem solve freely, to discover new ways of doing things with no right or wrong solution.”

Essentially, Jessica explains, engaging in artistic activities shouldn’t only be for those we deem as highly skilled or talented. In fact, studies show that artists and non-artists alike who engage in these activities experience the same drop in cortisol levels, regardless of experience or talent.

If you still find it difficult to engage with this kind of activity without feeling guilt for ‘slacking’, think of it as a chance to hone a skill that is becoming increasingly vital at work, too.

“Technology is speeding up the pace of our world and reshaping everything on a massive scale. CEO’s and entrepreneurs need intense creative leadership skills to inspire workers to be productive and innovative. The most inspirational creative leaders will nurture atmospheres that are safe for experimentation – to try out different solutions to problems even if they may not work.”

Below are two techniques Jessica regularly uses with clients looking to improve their mental health, reduce stress and embrace their creative side.

1. Combining music, words and paint

Journaling is excellent for offloading worries and processing events. It also helps to improve working memory. When done with music, the effects, says Jessica, can be even more profound. “Music can transport us from reality and when combined with journaling, creates a powerful tool for self-expression.” She suggests trying ‘stream of consciousness’ writing, in which the writer lets go of the need to control what comes out and instead lets the mind express whatever it’s holding onto.

Painting over the thoughts you’ve journaled afterwards allows you to write more freely in the moment (without fear of your words being seen). It also fires up both sides of the brain and encourages us to communicate both visually and verbally.

Try this when: your stress levels are high, you feel anxious for reasons you can’t place or are struggling to articulate a problem you’re dealing with at work.

2. Bilateral doodling

We all remember the days of sitting at school or in lectures and doodling in the margin of our paper. Rather than being a sign of disinterest, it’s actually often our brain’s way of trying to figure something out.

Jessica suggests trying your hand(s) at bilateral doodling. In order to do this, take two writing or drawing implements, holding one in each hand. Then, on the same piece of paper, start doodling lines or shapes at the same time, ensuring each side is a mirror image of the other.

More complex than basic doodling, says Jessica, it fires up both sides of the brain and lifts your mood by shifting the focus away from negative thinking.

“Bilateral doodling is a powerful tool for healing. It engages both the left side of the brain and the right and allows brain activity to cross hemispheres. This calms the nervous system while challenging the mind to stay fully present and engaged.”

Try this when: you have a mental block around a problem you’re dealing with at work, or are struggling to produce an innovative solution – particularly when you’re in an office environment without access to other art supplies.

Though the idea of whipping out a sketchbook in your workplace in order to solve a problem may seem incongruous, taking even just a few minutes each week to allow your creativity to express itself can have huge benefits – for ourselves, our work and ultimately the bottom line.

“Creative mindset maximizes adaptability, resilience and confidence and is the force that drives innovation in all disciplines. It empowers us to ask why, to become flexible and to go against the grain to explore new ideas, create new products, identify new markets, and new audiences and ways of reaching them. Visual art and creativity exercises simply increase the brain’s ability to do all these things, so I believe there is a direct correlation linking creativity to maximizing profits, performance and overall well being.”

 For more information about Jessica Hughes and her work, visit her website here.



Source link

- Advertisement -

Must Read

Related News

- Supported by -