Year after year, Wellness Assessment reports tell us that Ohio State students are struggling with their creative wellness. Consistently, this dimension finds itself in the bottom three dimensions of our campus community, right next to financial and emotional wellness.
So, what exactly is creative wellness? And why are so many students struggling to be well in this area?
According to the Student Life Student Wellness Center website, “the creatively well person values and actively participates in a diverse range of arts and cultural experiences as a means to understand and appreciate the surrounding world. Creative wellness is appreciating beauty in self, expressing your identity and using multiple perspectives to understand complex topics.”
Often we hear from students, “I am just not a crafty person” or, “Coloring stresses me out.” But creative wellness is more than just painting and coloring, it is about finding meaningful ways to incorporate creativity into your life. Which can mean very different things to different people.
For some creative wellness will include engaging in activities and hobbies like arts and crafts, dancing, or cooking, or even focusing on your own creative self-expression. For others creative wellness could be using creativity in your academic and professional experiences by proposing new ideas, problem-solving and coming up with creative solutions.
Today we challenge you to define creative wellness for yourself. How does this area of wellness fit into your routine? What are some simple changes you can make to boost creativity throughout your day?
If you are struggling to come up with something, here are some more suggestions:
- Use your creativity to come up with a new running route.
- Try listening to a new artist on Spotify.
- Grab your friends and head to see the new art exhibit opening at the Wexner Center for the Arts.
- Attend a free music or art event on campus or check out the long list of events available through D-tix.
- Try a new activity or hobby by joining one of the many creative and performing arts student organizations on campus.
However you choose to add creativity into your day, know that simple changes can make a big impact on your overall health and wellness.
For those who are looking for support in finding a new self-care activity, Wellness Coaching through the Student Wellness Center can assist with identifying opportunities and helping students find community on campus.
References:
Creative Wellness : Student Wellness Center (osu.edu)
Discount Ticket Program (D-Tix) : Student Activities (osu.edu)
Welcome to the Wex! | Wexner Center for the Arts (wexarts.org)
Find a Student Organization : Student Activities (osu.edu)
Wellness Assessment : Center for the Study of Student Life (osu.edu)
Wellness Coaching : Student Wellness Center (osu.edu)
Jordan Helcbergier, Wellness Coordinator