What are Creative Outlets & Why Do They Matter?

When I think back to what helped me the most when I was battling anorexia, it wasn’t all the therapy sessions, nor was it the coping skills, refeeding plans, or familial support, although those certainly made a big difference in keeping me safe and alive. No, what helped me, more than anything else, was writing.

I always say that writing saved my life—and it’s true. Before I discovered writing, I had no safe outlet for my disorder-driven thoughts and crippling anxiety. My life was void of all enjoyment, and my future was an abyss of emptiness and uncertainty. I couldn’t even talk about what I was dealing with because I was so full of shame and guilt that I kept everything bottled up inside me.

It was one of my first therapists who suggested I try writing in the eighth grade. I was a couple of months out of an Intensive Outpatient Program, and despite being at a healthier weight, my mental state was a complete mess. I was too unsafe to be in school but not unsafe enough to be in a hospital. I was existing in this strange in-between place where I was just going through the motions of life without truly living. I felt lost, stuck, and hopeless.

I didn’t want to take her suggestion at first; like most things I was advised to try then, I assumed writing would be a pointless waste of my time. But I was desperate for something—anything—to alleviate some of my internal angst, so, with extremely low expectations, I decided to give writing a go.

When I sat down at my computer and started typing, this incredible feeling of relief overcame me, like the thousand-pound weight of the world had been lifted off my chest. The cathartic emotional release writing provided me with persisted over the next few years of my life as I continued to battle my mental illness. In the constant chaos and conflict that was my life, writing was the one thing that I could rely on and that made the future worth fighting for.

A creative outlet is essentially something we do (a hobby, coping skill, etc.) that uses creative energy to help us focus and express our thoughts and emotions. In treatment, I met many others who, like me, had found solace and comfort in a creative outlet, whether it be writing, drawing, singing, playing the guitar, graphic design, and the list goes on. Because when we were engaging in our creative outlet, we weren’t thinking about the various hardships we were enduring. We weren’t worrying about which high-calorie dish we’d have to face at dinner or whether we’d get in a fight with our parents during Family Therapy. We were in the moment, grounded by creativity and self-expression, using our art to fill the hole inside us.

But creative outlets aren’t exclusive to those who struggle with mental illness. In my opinion, we could all benefit from focusing more on our mental well-being, and having a creative, expressive hobby is a great way to do so. These outlets reduce stress and anxiety and increase mental clarity, which contribute to us feeling happier and healthier in the long run.

Furthermore, creative outlets force us to set aside time for ourselves. This can be especially helpful for those of us who are constantly on the go because it’s an opportunity to reset and focus. Even a thirty-minute break can have a positive impact on our mental state and emotional regulation.

If not for anything else, creative outlets are fun. As children, we’re encouraged to be creative and imaginative but the moment we reach adulthood, suddenly we’re supposed to be serious all the time. When you create, you reject that social expectation and become in tune with your inner child. You get to make up your own stories and design your own characters and vicariously live out your wildest thoughts and dreams. You don’t need to fret about being perfect because art is entirely subjective—and anyway, when did it become customary to strive for such an unattainable goal as perfection?

Several years ago, writing saved my life. Today, it keeps me grounded, focused, and inspired. Just as I love to exercise and challenge my body, writing challenges my mind. As a by-product of this amazing creative outlet, I’ve had opportunities I’d never thought possible from publishing an entire book trilogy by age twenty to participating in author talks and panels to, most recently, launching this blog.

But even if that didn’t happen, even if I decided I wanted to keep my writing private, I’d still have that emotional release I can turn to for calmness when everything around me is spiraling out of control. In a world as erratic and stress-inducing as this one, that’s the difference between staying active in recovery and slipping back into my mental illness.

If you’re struggling to find your creative outlet, here are ten outstanding options you can explore: