Creative Expression

Making time for Creative Expression

One of the things I did a lot of during the cruise was watercolor painting. I started an Emeritus continuing education class through the community college district in Sumi-e Japanese Brush painting a couple months ago, and I have been loving it. I took my supplies on the trip with the intention of attending class via Zoom each week; and on the cruise they had almost daily watercolor classes which I participated in. Because I had the supplies, some days I took time to just practice in my room.

Creative expression is more than a pastime—it’s nourishment for the whole being. Whether through photography, watercolor, origami, cooking, or sewing, engaging in creativity invites us into presence, where the mind softens and the body relaxes. Studies show that even short periods of creative activity significantly reduce cortisol, the body’s primary stress hormone (Kaimal et al., 2016). Another study in the Journal of Positive Psychology found that daily creative engagement enhances well-being, increasing positive emotions and a sense of flourishing (Conner et al., 2018).

From a holistic health perspective, creativity feeds the heart and soul. It allows emotions to move, energy to flow, and inner balance to restore. It is, in many ways, a form of self-healing.

For me, giving massage is also a creative act—an intuitive dance of listening, touch, and response. Each session becomes a living expression of care, connection, and presence. I also love taking photographs, especially of nature and flowers, as evidenced by all the pictures included in these newsletters. 

Making time for creativity isn’t a luxury; it’s essential. In those moments of creating, we reconnect with ourselves—and that can be a powerful tool for healing and living a healthy lifestyle.

“Creativity takes courage.” — Henri Matisse