When I started writing Creative Writing for Wellbeing, I reflected on what I meant by wellbeing.
When I looked up a definition, various things were mentioned, but essentially it came down to how you feel about yourself and your life. What this looks like is different from person to person, and what one person thinks is well-being may be different from someone else.
Looking after your wellbeing could be anything from singing and dancing, to going for bushwalks or having a bubble bath, or spending time with friends, or any manner of other things.
Mindfulness is a term that is tossed around a lot. Some have particular ways they say you should practice mindfulness, many recommend meditation. I have tried meditation and it doesn’t work for me. I get bored! I have also tried other things like colouring and it’s fun for a while, but it never lasts long.
Creative writing is something that has always helped me feel good about myself, even when I write something that is really bad. There is a particular joy in writing really bad, angsty poems, but that’s a topic for another day.
When I talk about wellbeing, I am talking about something that helps you to enjoy your life, feel good about yourself, take care of yourself, especially your mental health.
When it comes to creative writing, so much is about having fun with it, losing yourself in the moment, and enjoying the process. It’s about doing things your own way instead of the way others tell you it should be done, even if that means not finishing a story!
Wellbeing is all about looking after yourself, and creative writing can play a part in this.
