When I was young and wrinkle free, I spent hours drawing Bart Simpson and Ninja Turtles. Nobody told me they were rubbish. My mum stuck them on the fridge and my Grandma said, “Oooh, she’s got a gift.” Fast forward to adulthood, and suddenly people act like drawing is a secret club you’re not allowed in unless you can define the difference between realism and abstract realism. Which is nonsense, really.
Because here’s the thing: art is for everyone.
Creativity is Not Optional – It’s Human
Being creative isn’t all about becoming the next Picasso or flogging your watercolours on a website like me (though fair play if you do). It’s about keeping that bit of your brain alive that says:
“What if I tried this?”
“What if I played for no reason other than joy?”
But here’s the problem: as adults, we’ve swallowed the idea that time must be productive or profitable. We choose hobbies that promise a return: a slimmer waist, a stronger heart, an Instagrammable sourdough recipe, or a product we can flog at a craft fair to prove our effort was “worth it”.
We’ve forgotten that worth doesn’t always mean money or measurable progress. Sometimes it just means feeling calm for half an hour. Feeling like you again. Feeling that tiny flicker of excitement in your chest when colours swirl together on a page.
We spend so much of our lives getting stuff done. The chores-before-fun culture is drilled into us like times tables. The dishes, the laundry, the admin, the ironing. And yes, they do need doing eventually, because nobody wants a maggot infestation under their mug collection and when you send your kids to school in dirty clothes you will get at least one letter home. But if we wait until every chore is done before we allow ourselves to play, guess what? We never play.
And honestly, life without play is about as thrilling as wet socks, or only eating lettuce.
The Mental Health Secret Nobody Talks About Enough
When you sit down with a pencil and just doodle – not to impress, not for work, just for you – something happens in your brain. Anxiety eases off a bit. You breathe slower. Your shoulders drop, your jaw loosens from the lock you never realised you had. It’s like a tiny holiday from the constant chatter in your head.
In fact, it has been found that engaging in creative activities – such as painting, drawing, writing, or crafting – significantly reduces stress and improves overall wellbeing. A study by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Arts, Health and Wellbeing (2017) reported that art activities help people manage mental health conditions and can reduce anxiety, depression, and feelings of isolation. They concluded:
“Arts engagement increases happiness, confidence, and reduces symptoms of depression and anxiety.”
Drawing, painting, or any type of art is mindfulness without the smug yoga top and fancy water bottle. You don’t need to be good at it for it to be good for you. You just need to do it.
Children don’t ask themselves, “Am I good at drawing?” They just do it. They express what’s inside them with bright yellow suns and people with massive heads and it makes sense to them. Art helps them understand the world, process feelings they can’t yet speak about, and gives them a sense of agency. It’s theirs.
And then, somewhere along the line, we teach them that chores come first. That being creative is an extra, not a necessity. That play is only allowed when the checklist is complete. But imagine telling a child, “No, you can’t draw your rainbow until you’ve Hoovered the stairs.” It’s daft, isn’t it? Yet we do it to ourselves all the time.
Now however, I may have girl bossed too close to the sun on this one with my tweenager because she is all about seeking the joy and has no desire to clean the room of doom she has created as her own personalised den of procrastination and contemplation. I enter only with permission and trepidation.
The Biggest Myth: “I Can’t Draw”
Here’s my favourite bit. People say to me, “Oh, I can’t draw to save my life.” And I say, “No, you can’t draw YET.” Because drawing isn’t some magical talent handed out at birth to a select few while the rest of us were off having a wee. Although there is no denying to some it comes more naturally than others. For the most of us though it is muscle memory, practice, and observation. Like learning to drive or making a decent cup of tea (which, let’s be honest, took some of us years).
You don’t have to become an expert to enjoy it. You don’t need fancy supplies or pristine paper. You just need to start. Play. Make mistakes. Scribble. Eventually, your lines get steadier, your shapes more recognisable, and your confidence grows. And even if it doesn’t, you’re still winning because you’re doing it.
Final Thoughts: Play Now, Hoover Later
So here’s my gentle, slightly bossy advice:
Let yourself play.
Draw before the chores, if you can, even if you can only take five minutes to yourself. Paint at the kitchen table while the laundry glares at you passive-aggressively. Make art because you are human, not because you’re ‘good’ or it will turn a profit. Show your kids that creativity matters. Show yourself that your mind deserves rest and joy.
Because nobody, on their deathbed, ever said,
“I wish I’d emptied the dishwasher more.”
But you may say 'I wish I had chased my joy'
Have a blooming lovely day!