To succeed as a parent, you need to be pretty structured. You need daily schedules and routines. Your kids thrive on routines and you need them to keep your sanity. It’s so easy to get so caught up in the routines of daily life that you lose your creativity.
You might be so busy, you don’t think you even have time to be creative. But human beings thrive on being creative. We are creative beings by nature. In fact, the busier you are, the more time you need to be creative.
You owe it to yourself and your family to reclaim your creativity. And by creativity, I don’t mean being the perfect Pinterest Mom.
You deserve time and space to use your creative mind any way you choose.
If you are struggling to find your creativity, if you still think you don’t have the time or energy to be creative, keep reading for more inspiration. Discover why it is so important for you and your family.
Creativity Helps You Solve Problems
Allowing yourself to be creative trains your brain to be more adaptable and flexible in dealing with all kinds of daily parenting problems. You may not realize it, but you’re being extremely creative when you’re bartering with your determined toddler or teenager.
Being creative helps you escape linear thinking and regular logic. Because, you know, toddlers and teenagers are anything but logical. When you develop your creativity, you see options that aren’t just black and white. Your mind can look at your problem from many different angles and sees potential solutions that you otherwise might not see.
Creativity Can Help You Live Longer
Surprising but true. Studies have shown that being creative can actually reduce your mortality risk and add years to your life. So, go ahead and tell your husband you’re doing him a favor when you need some time to be creative because he might need you around to take care of him later on. Making, drawing, writing, scrapbooking, decorating, woodwork, knitting, or painting all fire different neural pathways in your brain and help to reduce stress and anxiety.
Creativity slows cognitive aging and enables you to lead a happier, more fulfilling life. You know that saying, use it or lose it. The more you use your brain in creative ways, the stronger and smarter your brain will be later in life. And you don’t have to wait until your old to reap the benefits. You can start to have a smarter brain right now because you know that mom brain thing is for real, no joke.
Creativity Grows Your Confidence
Learning a creative skill takes application and lots of practice. You’ll make a lot of mud pies and lopsided pots before you can create beautiful and functional tableware. Mastering your chosen art form helps you develop confidence in your abilities that will overflow into other areas of your life. As you overcome failure and succeed in making beautiful things, you will see that persistence and optimism are the way to success.
If you’re trying to find your creativity on Pinterest, be ready for the “Pinterest Fail”. But don’t get upset about it. Celebrate it! Celebrate that you tried something new and you learned lots along the way. Each time you try something, the better you will get, and the more your confidence will grow.
Remember, this isn’t about comparing yourself to other moms. It’s about cultivating YOUR creativity. Go to Pinterest for inspiration, not duplication. Get ideas to spark your creativity, don’t try to copy someone else’s and feel bad for not nailing it.
Creativity Is Immensely Satisfying
There is nothing like starting with raw materials and being able to make something unique from them. Whether you start with a lump of clay, a blank scrapbook page, an empty room, or you make your summer wardrobe from scratch, you know you have the skills and creative spark to make whatever you want. You aren’t dependent on stores and other people’s work. You know you can start with zero skills and learn a completely new skill.
When you are deep in throes of parenting, you need a creative outlet. You need something that stimulates different areas of your brain. And when you feel like you’re failing as a mom (like every second of every day), you need to feel successful at something.
Creativity Helps You Express Yourself
When you spend the majority of your day focused on your kids, you can easily lose yourself. You can forget what makes you feel vibrant and alive.
Making a piece of artwork, a form of writing or an item of clothing allows you to make something that is completely yours. No one else can make the exact same thing that you can.
Living a creative life can help you see that whatever you bring to the world is unique and special. Every mom is unique and special and deserves to feel like it.
Creativity Relieves Stress
When you use the creative part of your brain, you give the analytical (aka the stress and worry) part of your brain a time out.
Giving yourself time to be creative is also a way to relieve stress.
Although the most rewarding job you’ll ever have, parenting is really hard. You need regular breaks from the hard stuff. Using those breaks to develop your creativity will help you to manage stress and be an even more amazing parent than you already are.
Final Thoughts on Why Moms Need to be Creative
Being creative is a form of self-care. Moms either don’t have the time or feel guilty (or both) when they take time for themselves. It’s not selfish to care for yourself and nourish your soul. You know you need these things to be a better parent. You’re actually doing your family dis-service when you don’t take time for self-care and to use your creativity.
It’s time for you to be a better you and a better mom by taking time for yourself and creating something you love. By doing so, you’ll be creating what matters most to you- a beautiful, healthy, well-balanced family.
