How we can find well-being through creative expression

For a long time, when I thought about creativity, the image of an incredible visual artist came to mind: someone who could paint, draw and create effortlessly-skills I admired deeply but never saw myself reflected in.

I grew up surrounded by creativity. My father is a woodworker, shaping raw materials into useful and beautiful creations. My brother expressed himself through writing, weaving words into meaning for himself and for those who found pieces of their own story reflected in his. Meanwhile, my own creativity lived quietly in my mind, where I rearranged spaces, imagined colour palettes and redesigned rooms to reflect my inner world. 

It wasn’t until my mid-30s that I truly understood that creativity is not limited to art. It lives and breathes within us, shaped by our interests and passions and by the ways we pursue and express them.

For me, creativity shows up in how I find solutions, sometimes collaboratively and sometimes on my own, both within my personal life and in my work. It lives in food, where pairing flavours and experimenting with recipes come naturally, and in the small decorative details throughout my home. My sense of space and colour creates environments that are warm, intentional and alive. Creativity is what you make it, and when it makes you feel good, it quietly supports your mental health. 

Creativity most often shows up in how I connect with my children. At bedtime, storytelling becomes a shared creative ritual. Real experiences are woven together with bits of fiction, humour and imagination.  Often, a story from our own lives, retold creatively, is preferred over one from a book.

People can process emotions, build cognitive flexibility, reduce stress and foster resilience through creative expression. It can also strengthen social connections and support a sense of purpose and meaning. Studies exploring the relationship between creativity and mental health indicate that engaging creatively is associated with more adaptive coping strategies and higher levels of psychological well-being.

Creativity doesn’t require talent or supplies. It can emerge through objects already in your home, through movement, music, storytelling, decorating or shared activities. And it is not about performance but rather about expression. In that expression, there is space for healing, connection and a deeper sense of well-being. 

Stéphanie Paquette is a social worker in the Student Services Department at the English Montreal School Board.