(This is a piece that I am writing for Health Out Loud’s blog page.)

For me, health goes beyond the physical. It involves having an emotional and personal balance, which is essential for mental and social health.

Creativity plays a significant role when it comes to having a healthy mind because it gives us the freedom to express ourselves and helps us develop empathy.

I find my creative outlet and expression through reading novels, writing, playing the piano, playing board games and even engaging in various physical activities.

These examples show that creativity can manifest in all mediums. It’s a way for the mind to engage with different concepts, use imagination, and come up with its own representation of something.

For instance, from reading a novel, not only is imagination used to take you to a different place and setting, you also look through the lens of a different perspective—from the eyes of the narrator. This is where empathy comes into play. Empathy is the ability to understand and share feelings of another.

Empathy is what connects us to other people, which is essential for social well-being.

As well, it helps with our introspection and self-discovery; having an empathic understanding of other people induces one to reflect critically one one’s own experiences and values.

Whenever I am doing something creative, I feel liberated. I experience something new and meaningful, as my mind creates something based on my interaction with the world.

Creativity is truly a way to help me stay calm, whole, energized and happy.