Throughout my journey as a creative entrepreneur to date, I have made it no secret how much creativity has led me to where I am right now.
Many times I have told the story about starting my travel blog “Ceejyloves” in 2019 and that it inspired me to take my newfound digital skills to the next level - in a way that I had not anticipated.
As a result of starting a blog, I felt more confident at a time when the effects of my job were doing the opposite. Those feelings of being drained in the evenings on weekends were lessened or offset by the excitement of creating inspiring content.
But how exactly can have your own creative outlet act as a powerful confidence booster? What impact does it have on your health and well-being?
Read this article to find 5 ways that finding your own creative outlet (such as a blog) can contribute positively in this way.
1. A Creative Outlet can give you a higher sense of purpose and direction
Having a creative outlet means that if you have a tough day at work, you are less likely to fixate on those unfair comments your difficult co-worker uttered during that meeting.
Instead, you can focus your energy on something more worthwhile and fulfilling - your own personal “project” that lifts you up instead of dragging down your mood.
Credit: Elisa Ventur - Unsplash
Taking this one step further, having this higher sense of purpose may also inspire and give you the confidence to try a new path if your current career doesn’t work out. A creative outlet can act as a useful reminder that you are never stuck in one place and always have the choice to change where you are.
2. A Creative Outlet can help to reduce feelings of anxiety and stress (express yourself!)
Did you know that of the 60,000 thoughts we have each day - around 70-80% of them are thought to be negative?
The act of creativity has been linked to meditation in the sense that it has a calming impact on the brain, releasing dopamine and can help to reduce anxiety and stress. Writing a blog for example is a really great way of expressing yourself creatively, allowing you to channel your emotions healthily.
From a personal perspective, I used to come home struggling with confidence and worrying about making mistakes at work, and my mind went around in circles thinking about how things went that day with my boss. Knowing that I had my blog waiting at home for me was so comforting and definitely my “happy place” that I could go to.
Ultimately, your chosen creative outlet will help focus your mind on something positive, instead of your mind spiraling from one negative thought to the next.
Credit: Katerina May - Unsplash
The act of creativity has been linked to meditation in the sense that it has a calming impact on the brain, releasing dopamine and can help to reduce anxiety and stress.
Don’t get me wrong, if you are suffering from workplace-related anxiety or stress, I recommend that you seek further help from a medical professional. Although I firmly believe that having a creative outlet can be effective in reducing symptoms of stress, if you reach a point where a bad day at work turns into a consistently bad week or even month - please make sure you seek help.
3. A Creative Outlet can contribute to developing skills you never knew existed (and feel proud of it)
Think your skillset is limited to your current career choice? Think again!
Having a creative outlet can really open your mind to the numerous opportunities out there - I would even go as far as to say “unlimited”. By starting my travel blog, I learned all these online digital skills such as building a website on WordPress, social media marketing, content writing, SEO, digital course creation, etc. These skills were drastically different from my property valuation skills as a chartered surveyor!
Credit: Riccardo Annanda - Unsplash
A creative outlet can act as a useful reminder that you are never stuck in one place and always have the choice to change where you are.
Knowing that I had these skills helped to build my confidence during a difficult time at work and ultimately helped me to take many more steps into creative entrepreneurship when I made the decision to leave my job in December 2020.
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And… if you are in a position where leaving your job is neither your desire nor a possibility, adding a wide variety of creative skills to your belt is never a bad thing. You can feel proud of how far you’ve come and have a sense of confidence in your abilities that will supercharge your success levels.
Conclusion
I hope you enjoyed reading this article about 3 ways that having a creative outlet can act as a powerful confidence booster! There are many more wonderful benefits of creativity in helping you to live a more healthy and fulfilled life, which I will be revealing in future blog posts and articles. For now, though, I had to share a sample of my favourite benefits.
But I'd love to know - do you have a creative outlet and if not, what is your creative outlet going to be?
Want to learn more about how you can discover your very own creative passion?
Make sure you get booked in for your very own tailored Creative Clarity Session - more info below.
Do you have a creative outlet?
Yes - I love it!
Not yet, but I want to start one
No, but this post has inspired me!