Creativity & Emotional Health

The world is but a canvas to the imagination.
-- Henry David Thoreau

All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.
-- Pablo Picasso

Do any of us ever really lose that sense of "ooh" upon seeing a crisp, blank sheet of paper and a freshly cracked open box of crayons? At 43 years of age, I can proudly say that bright & whimsical pictures begin to form in my mind at the very sight, and even smell, of good ol' Crayolas.
I guess it's a combination of being carried back to happy moments in childhood, (remember how exciting it was to have a new coloring book?) and feelings of hopeful anticipation at the possibilities that lie ahead on the canvas of our lives.
There's a connection between emotional health and creativity, but don't worry if you're not artistically gifted. What you create is not as important as just creating. Allowing creative juices to flow relieves stress, and actually lowers blood pressure...even if it's simply doodling on a notepad.
The ways we can express ourselves creatively are endless:

Drawing
Writing
Journaling
Scrapbooking
Singing
Dancing
Sculpture
Painting
Decorating
Cooking
Knitting or crocheting
Sewing
Woodwork, Metalwork, origami, etc...

Creativity not only allows us to break out of established patterns and look at things in a different way, but it sharpens the brain, which can put off the onset of dementia in old age. The more new things you learn, the more exercise the brain gets — and the sharper it will remain. It's often recommended that seniors learn new skills and challenge themselves with new opportunities, but why wait until you're old?

For me personally, I find comfort and relaxation in upcycle crafting (basically turning "trash" into "treasure") - because while I'm creating, I feel like I'm being a little "green" too...but my all time favorite way to express my inner artist is through crochet, which I've been doing since I was in the 5th grade! My first project ever was a hideous, pepto-bismol pink scarf that was as crooked as a used car salesman. (If you're a used car salesman and reading this, sorry!! LOL)
I've mostly always just made things and given them away as gifts, and occasionally made things to order and charged for them. People have said for years that I should sell more of my crochet work, and now I'm going to give it a shot. So long as it never feels more like "work" and less like "play" I'll be happy to actually get paid a few bucks here and there for doing something I love. I've bought things a few times over the last few years from the online shops at etsy, but now I'll be a first-time seller.
Here's a link to my brand new (and mostly empty) online shop:
Chastain Creations