Do you suffer from trauma and think of yourself as a non-artistic person? Do you keep getting caught in the same negative thought loops and struggle to break free from them? Do you suffer from intrusive thoughts and/or feelings and struggle to escape them? If you answered yes to one or more of these questions, then I urge you to read about some things you can do to help your overall situation.
Creative Hobbies Are Badly Needed These Days
We are in a time when there often seems to be a tremendous amount of urgency around every day tasks that would leave little or no time for doing anything artistic or creative. You may find yourself just trying to take care of everyday tasks and feel like you have no energy left to do anything artistic or creative whatsoever. It’s situations such as this that make it all the more important to actually try and work in creative hobbies. This is even more important if you’re someone who suffers from trauma, too.
The Trap of ‘I’m Not Artistic’ With Creative Hobbies
You may be one of those people who feels like you don’t have a creative bone in your body! Well, there’s no bones about creativity, because each of us is born with a creative impulse and an inclination towards creating artistic things. You may have really enjoyed art when you were a kid and no one, including you, would criticize or belittle you for scribbling all over a coloring book. Well, that childlike part of us never actually goes away. We all need to have outlets for creative expression, and many of these take the form of hobbies that can be very therapeutic for people… especially those who suffer from trauma.
How To Get Started in a Creative Hobby
All it takes is recalling some type of artistic activity you have enjoyed in the past. Sure, you may be in a place because of trauma or some related mental illness where you really don’t enjoy doing much of anything at all. That’s not the point. The idea is to take a certain amount of time to devote to some artistic outlet and try to make it a regular thing as much as you’re able to. It could be something as simple as getting an adult coloring book, and buying or digging up some of the old crayons that you or your children play(ed) with and spending 10 to 15 minutes engaging in something like that. The list of possible creative hobbies is literally endless. It could be singing, dancing, fly fishing, horseback riding, playing an instrument, or doing hand work. The main thing is for you to engage in this hobby as a way to counter all of the negativity that you encountered as part of your struggle with trauma. It also gets you ‘in the moment’ and activates a part of your brain that is important for trauma recovery.
Engaging Non-Critically with Creative Hobbies is All–Important
You may try getting started on an activity and find that you start to think negatively or criticize the work that you’ve done. If you find that you’re starting to do this, then find some way to squelch the criticism. It could be just simply saying or thinking ‘Stop!’ out loud to yourself, or saying that you are choosing to be kind to yourself instead of critical. For this to be able to work, you have to be able to focus on taking the time to engage in the creative hobby, regardless of whether you think it is something that is commendable or not. Whether others appreciate your work is secondary. The main things that you do it, and even if you don’t currently enjoy it, you trust that some enjoyment will come at some point down the line.
What if Creative Hobbies Don’t Seem to Help You Much?
Some people struggle with trauma that is severe, and in these cases engaging in a creative hobby may seem like it really isn’t making much difference in helping you in your recovery. That may very well be the case, but I’ve worked with many clients who have been able to recover from trauma with help from me and supportive others. I encourage you to call the number at the top of the page or fill out an inquiry form below if you would like to get a better idea about whether I could help you with recovering from your particular experience of trauma. I will get back to you within 24 hours if you live in Maryland or Virginia to schedule a free 20 minute phone consult. I may or may not recommend particular activities as part of that process, but do realize that it could be an important part of the entire recovery process for you going forward. Regardless of what particular outlet you choose to engage in, I do encourage you to take a positive step towards recovering from trauma today.
Visit our page on trauma therapy to find out how Scott can help you with creative hobbies, and more!
About the author: Scott Kampschaefer, LCSW is a private practice therapist in Frederick, Maryland. He has an extensive background in working with depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder at a clinic for older adults with these disorders in Austin, Texas. He now works with adults and adolescents 14 and up in private practice. His most recent book is titled The 5 Pillars of Addiction Recovery and is available for purchase on Amazon and in paperback on this website.