Creativity is Intelligence Having Fun: Well Said, Albert Einstein

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A while back, I was sent a new book to review on my blogs (How to Draw Cool Stuff) and while enjoying the heck out of it, I started thinking about the benefits of creativity on your mental and emotional health. Basically, getting in touch with your creative side (cooking, drawing, gardening, writing, crafting special coffee drinks, painting…) awakens an area in your brain that may have been dormant since art class in the tenth grade.

It’s never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never a good thing when any part of your brain is dormant.

CNN reports that taking part in creative endeavors protects neuron growth by promoting the production of new neurons – which delays dementia.  Put another way, it’s a wake up call to your brain cells – one it needs greatly. Wake up calls such as this, of course, not only keep you sharp – they also help protect you against the various forms of dementia, including Alzheimer’s Disease.

Other Ways Being More Creative is Good For You

• Getting in touch with your creative side boosts self-confidence and even self-esteem.
• Being creative reduces stress.
• Drawing, cooking, gardening, painting, etc.. are excellent ways to alleviate anxiety.
• Individuals who eat out of boredom or as a result of inactivity often find that they shave a great number of calories and even lose weight when they take up a creative new hobby.
• If your creative new hobby involves learning new things (such as the wonderful art lesson the book pictured below provides), the mental benefits are doubled.  Learning new things is the best way to strengthen your brain and ward off mental decline, dementia, and Alzheimer’s.

If it’s been a while since you got in touch with your creative side, I hope you’ll let this serve as a motivating shot in the arm to pick up those pencils, gardening tools, coffee brewing gadgets, or paint brushes.

Your brain will thank you for it.

~ Joi (“Joy”)

Read my How to Draw Cool Stuff Review on my mental fitness blog! It’s a great book for kids and adults – and, trust me, it’s as cool as advertised.