05/03/2026
At a time when we are seeing arts budgets stripped further and the creative and expressive arts missing drastically from the school curriculum, it greatly concerns me. So, for what it's worth, here's my rambling thoughts on why we must value the arts more than ever in today's world.
I've been doing a lot of 'art for my own soul' recently. Navigating illness and the changing landscape of menopause added to the mix has brought up some challenges - to say the least.
I've just completed a Menopause Coaching course, which was 'good ish' but very basic/surface if I'm honest. It gives me something to get insured as a menopause coach should I go in that direction but, being in the depths of midlife changes and hormone fluctuations myself, it hasn't really touched the deeper parts I need to connect with.
So, I find myself going back to the foundations of health: movement, nutrition, good circadian rhythm (still awaiting better sleep mind you!) light, connection and, creative stuff!
Connection is interesting, it's not just outwards connection but inwards to the self that's important for health and wellbeing. Meditation has been hard of late so, I go to crayons/pastels and draw what my body guides - it's usually not 'pretty' or anything you'd hang on your wall but, it's the process that is the real treasure. Or, I'll close the blinds and dance like no one is watching - and if someone was watching, I'd likely be sectioned! 🥴 But, it moves stuck energy and old patterns, it releases and creates a space for something new to grow - and creates a more soothed body and mind.
My degree is a BEd and within that I specialises in creative and expressive arts. I had planned to do environmental studies specialism but after 2 weeks I was uninspired and decided to leave the course - until a good friend insisted I try the arts specialism. Reluctantly, I went to the first session and loved it! It's one of the best decisions I've ever made and has had a profound impact on my work but also on me personally.
Creative and expressive arts can play an important role in supporting wellbeing, particularly in the regulation and processing of trauma and complex emotions. Practices such as drawing, painting, sculpture, music, movement and craft provide ways for people to explore internal experiences that may be difficult to express verbally. Within Art Therapy and related approaches, creative processes are understood as tools for both emotional expression and psychological integration.
Research in Neuroscience and Trauma Psychology suggests that traumatic experiences are often stored in sensory and emotional parts of the brain rather than in language-based systems. Creative activity engages these sensory pathways—through colour, texture, rhythm and movement - allowing individuals to externalise feelings and experiences in symbolic, non-verbal ways that can support processing and understanding.
Making something with the hands is also closely connected to nervous system regulation. Hands-on creative activities such as clay work, drawing, weaving or woodworking etc, engage sensorimotor pathways and encourage present-moment awareness. This can support communication between brain regions involved in emotional regulation, including the Prefrontal Cortex and the Limbic System.
Repetitive and rhythmic creative actions—such as stitching, brush strokes or shaping clay—can help regulate the Autonomic Nervous System by promoting calming physiological responses. These processes align with ideas described in Polyvagal Theory, which highlights the role of sensory engagement and rhythm in supporting feelings of safety and emotional balance.
Importantly, creating a tangible object can also foster a sense of agency and accomplishment. For individuals who have experienced trauma or feel stressed out, the act of shaping materials and producing something meaningful can help rebuild confidence, control and self-expression. In this way, creative practice offers an accessible and embodied pathway for emotional processing, nervous system regulation and overall wellbeing.
I wish I had a penny for every person who has attended a session or workshop, who has anxiously insisted that 'they aren't creative' - only to leave a few inches taller with something they're super proud of! And, come back for more!
We live in a society that praises finished product, perfection and (often unattainable) aesthetics. A consumer driven culture that demonises people if they aren't keeping up with the latest iPhone, car, fashion or home furnishings.
Participating in the creative process is an act of rebellion - it connects to something wise and knowing inside, a place of authenticity where you can feel at peace, authentic, good enough and a sense of not needing to be more, do more or have more. Participation in the arts and creative process really is the antidote to all of society's ills and produces happy, healthy, connected and conscious humans.
