BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM
In a society where productivity and work are often considered the markers of success, it’s encouraging to learn that creative hobbies may hold the key to a happier, more fulfilled life. Recent research has shown that arts and crafts, such as painting, knitting, and photography, can have a significant impact on our overall life satisfaction—sometimes more than our work. This emerging evidence suggests that fostering creativity could be a powerful tool for improving public health and enhancing individual wellbeing.
More than just a hobby
Artsy activities like painting, ceramics, and photography have long been known to provide therapeutic advantages, particularly in clinical settings. However, Dr. Helen Keyes of Anglia Ruskin University and her colleagues adopted a broader approach, looking at how these activities affect the overall population. Their findings, published in the journal Frontiers in Public Health, offer new light on the power of arts and crafts to improve our happiness and sense of purpose.
“It’s quite an affordable, accessible, and ultimately popular thing for people to do,” Dr. Keyes said. “And that’s key. You’re not going to be shoving something down people’s throats that they don’t want to do.” These activities are appealing and accessible, making them a viable choice for improving public health.
The study: crafting happiness
The study looked at data from more than 7,000 people aged 16 and above who took part in the UK Department for Culture, Media, and Sport’s “Taking Part” survey between April 2019 and March 2020. Participants were asked to score several elements of their well-being on a 10-point scale and to indicate if they had participated in any arts and crafts activities in the previous year.
The findings were compelling: 37 percent of individuals reported engaged in some type of creative activity. Those who did so consistently reported better levels of enjoyment, life satisfaction, and a sense of purpose in life than those who did not engage in such activities. These findings remained true even after controlling for other factors such as age, gender, economic position, and overall health.
“So crafting, in and of itself, is associated with a bigger increase [in wellbeing],” Dr. Keyes said. The study found that participating in arts and crafts increased happiness in a way that was comparable to the natural increase in well-being that occurred over the course of 20 years. More strikingly, the sense of purpose in life was more strongly associated with crafting than with employment.
Beyond the workplace: the value of creativity
One of the study’s most startling conclusions was that crafting offered a greater sense of purpose than employment. “That was probably our most interesting finding,” Dr. Keyes said. “You would certainly think you get a lot of your sense of worth from being in employment.” This could be because not everyone finds their job rewarding, whereas creative hobbies can provide a sense of mastery, control, and self-expression.
While the study did not look into the impact of specific creative hobbies, the overarching conclusion is clear: indulging in any creative activity can considerably improve your well-being. Even though the improvement in life satisfaction associated with arts and crafts was modest (approximately two percent), Dr. Keyes stressed that it is still significant at the population level. “If you’re a national health service, or you’re a government, seeing a two percent increase in the overall well-being of your population is going to be really significant,” she stated.
An easy path to better well-being
The consequences of this study are substantial. Supporting and promoting creative activities may be a cost-effective and accessible method for governments and health organizations seeking to improve national well-being. “This is something that we’re showing can have quite a big effect compared to those other factors,” Dr. Keyes said, adding that arts and crafts are a simple method to engage people in activities that greatly improve their quality of life.
As society grapples with stress and mental health issues, Dr. Keyes and her team’s results provide a refreshing perspective: often the simplest things can have the greatest impact. Whether you’re an experienced artist or just starting a new hobby, the message is clear: embrace your creativity. It might just result in a happier, more fulfilling existence.
Source study: Frontiers in Public Health—Creating arts and crafting positively predicts subjective wellbeing
