Happy Brain: Why we need to create

Why do many people treat mental health like a fitness chore? Calorie-counted meditation minutes, wearable-tracked steps, meditation apps to install, etc.

Nothing wrong with the above, but it does sound like another item on the to-do list. Reason why it usually doesn’t last. Mainly because it is a “have to” highly linked to an outcome that must happen. And because it’s not financially rewarding, it’s almost like a waste of time in this era of “we have to be productive,” if it at least doesn’t improve the way we feel about ourselves.

But, what if the antidote to poor mental health isn’t just another spreadsheet routine or meditation app but the simple, messy joy of making something? It can be anything. Usually, a good hint of what that might be is hidden in your childhood. Did you like painting the walls, modelling a piece of clay, playing an instrument, or writing poems?

Creative activity isn’t a fluffy add-on, and it shouldn’t be regarded that way. It’s the juice that nourishes our brain. What does the data say? E.g.:

• A 2025 systematic review of 19 trials found consistent boosts in mood, self-esteem, and life satisfaction after only six weeks of pottery, knitting, woodworking sessions, etc.

• A meta-analysis last month showed art-making cut depressive symptoms in young people by nearly half a standard deviation, comparable to first-line talk therapy.

Source: pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

So, regardless of the creative activity you choose, once you start practicing, it will emerge as a neurologically serious tool for self-care.

How does it rewire the brain?

Picture two neural gears: the Default Mode Network (mind-wandering) and the Executive Control Network (focus).

• The Default Mode Network (DMN - mid-line cortex & hippocampal nodes) has a special role within the creative context as it generates free-associative material, e.g., raw ideas, images, and memories that fuel divergent thinking. Bursts of DMN activity precede creative insight and emotional calm. However, when it over-dominates and fails to disengage, self-referential thought turns into rumination, which is a hallmark of depression and anxiety.

• The Executive Control Network (ECN - dorsolateral PFC & parietal nodes) is in charge of evaluating, refining, and selecting those raw ideas generated by the DMN. If it clamps down too hard or can’t access DMN content, thinking becomes rigid, which is linked to impaired cognitive flexibility.

A 2024 multi-site fMRI study found that people who can rapid-fire switch between these networks score highest on idea generation tasks (the same flexibility that protects against rumination and anxiety).

For example, I practice photography, and every time my mind drifts to notice a scene (DMN), then half-press to focus and frame it properly (ECN), I am actually exercising that neural gear-switch.

The benefits stretch into later life. A four-year follow-up of more than 7,000 adults found that weekly music-making slowed memory and executive-function decline. (source sciencedirect.com).

Ever thought you’re not creative? Nonsense. If you’re a human, then it’s in your blood.

I often hear from people, “I was never creative”, or “Being creative is not my thing”, or “You’re lucky to have a creative spirit”, or other examples along these lines. This is all nonsense. If you’re a human, then it’s in your blood. Now, you don’t have to be a DaVinci or a Giotto (even though you may very well reach that point), but you do have a creative instinct, one that’s wired into your being. You don’t need talent, a title, or even a plan. You just need to begin. Make something, notice something, play with an idea. That’s enough to light up your mental circuitry and shift your state of mind.

So, how do you start?

Here are a few evidence-based micro-habits to try this week

• First: rewind to childhood passions. Take a time travel to your childhood and identify what creative activities you enjoyed much. Chances are, you might crave the same. Pick something and get it started.

• Perfection is overrated and honestly no longer a compliment (not even in business environments anymore, let alone the creative ones). “Perfect” is passé - drop it, bin it, and keep creating before doubt gets in. The mental-health payoff comes from volume and play, not flawlessness.

• Micro-dose the making. A quasi-experimental study showed that 45 minutes of free art-making dropped cortisol, which is the body’s main stress hormone, in three-quarters of participants, regardless of skill level.

• Make it social. Art shared is stress halved. A 2025 Nature Mental Health meta-analysis of 39 controlled trials found that group arts sessions such as painting circles, dance classes, zine clubs cut depression and anxiety by medium-to-large effect sizes. Translation: invite a friend, join a class, or hit an open-mic; the social dopamine bonus matters.

• Reflect. Finish with one line on what surprised you; reflection cements new wiring. Short written reflections after creative practice will improve emotion-regulation scores and self-awareness versus controls. Doesn’t have to be long; one line on what surprised you helps lock in the neural gain.

So, before you download another mental health app, pick up a lump of clay or open GarageBand. Your future self and your brain will thank you.

The joy is in the making. Now, share in the comments what you enjoyed creating as a kid? Confession: I was the household muralist and toy hot-couture designer..