6 Ways Making Jewelry Improves Your Creativity and Wellbeing

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Jewelry making is a creative activity that allows you an easy way to begin to practicing self-care through creativity. Whether you’re a beginner or a pro, working in the present moment with beautiful beads, stones and components eases you into a more relaxed state. There is an intuitive, reflective, and emotional process that begins to take place. Practicing creativity helps relax your mind, body, and soul.

1. Stimulate Your Creativity

Stress, anxiety, worry, and fear are natural reactions to uncertainty and the unknown. Since the pandemic, statistics show high numbers of stress, depression, loss, and loneliness. All of which impair health and cognitive wellbeing. This is why it is so important to introduce creative activities into our daily lives. Creative ventures of all kinds have positive impacts on brain function because they encourage unconventional thinking and imagination which helps stimulate both sides of your brain.

Painted pendant by Jill Mackay — Combine different modalities, such as painting with beadwork or drawing with enamels, and let your mind relax into the technique.

2. Get in the Flow

When you’re giving your fullest attention to an activity or task that you are passionate about, singularly focused on, and totally immersed in, you may find yourself creating the conditions necessary to experience a flow state of mind. The mind’s usual chatter begins to fade away, placing us in an undistracted calm zone. The world’s problems fall away, and time passes easily. You become relaxed. You are focused on creating and at ease with yourself.

3. Discover Your Joy

It’s an engaging process to discover and learn which materials you like, which colors and gemstones you respond to and why. Think about the WHY of it. Why are you responding more favorably to some materials and not others. This is new information, and it brings self-awareness and self-reflection. Give yourself the time to play with beads, stones, and other materials in your collection. Find delight.

Jewelry making supplies by Jill Mackay — Jill enjoys discovering new treasures at the gem, mineral, bead, and fossil shows in Tucson.

4. Practice Creativity

Creativity isn’t found, it is developed. It is a practice. It is a passionate sense of potential. Challenging yourself stokes the fires of self-esteem. Challenge yourself to set aside a place and time to spend being engaging in the creative process for your own wellbeing. It lifts your mood and piques your interest to learn more.

5. Break Up Your Routine

So much of the time we are running on a script. Pick up the kids make dinner, go to work, do the chores. The mind can be on remote control as you have done these activities so much that you can sleepwalk through life. Creativity does more than break up the monotony. It creates growth, wellness, and happiness.

Jill Mackay and jewelry making friends — Make a point of finding your creative community in person and online. This group of friends connected years ago and continues to share creative inspiration.

6. Join a Maker Community

There are many communities of jewelry makers out there. Interacting with jewelry making communities online and in person is very rewarding. Connecting with other makers, hearing their stories, and learning from each other has very positive impacts on your emotional and physical health. It feels good to understand and be understood by other creatives.

Let Creativity Improve Your Mental Health

The more you spend time making and creating, the more you will want to do it. The more you do it, the better you will feel and the more health and cognitive benefits you will receive. As the saying goes, “Become a lifelong creative learner, and you will never be bored again.”

Resources for Creativity and Mental Health

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Jean Gribbon, The Science of Art: Dr. Gribbon is the founder and director of Beads of Courage. She shares why experiencing art and making things is good for us in this episode of Jewelry Artist Podcast

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Beading and Creating Art Can Improve Your Health: Discover what scientists and artists have to say about everyday creativity and the benefits of making things.

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Lisa Lehmann on Making Jewelry for Mental Health: Lisa is a full-time jewelry artist and uses making jewelry and writing about it as one of her tools for coping with depression.

Jill MacKay is an artist and writer who believes creativity is transformational. In addition to her career as a jewelry designer, she spent a decade working as Artist in Residence at the Caring Place, a center for grieving children, with Fred Rogers (of Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood) to integrate the arts into the bereavement setting. Jill is committed to making a difference in the lives of others through creativity. Learn more about Jill and her shop on her website.

Listen Now: Jewelry Artist Podcast: Creatively Generous Jill MacKay

Favorite Projects by Jill MacKay