Exploring the close connection between creativity and stress

Tied up in knots? Read this...

As a writer, I’m constantly on deadline. Truthfully, I find the closer I get to my deadline, the more effectively I work. But there are also times when deadlines, family needs, and other demands make my brain swirl so much that I feel giddy. The adrenaline makes my heart beat fast, I’m a little nauseous even, and want to pace instead of sit. Times like this, the words get caught up in the maelstrom. I can’t catch them, or put them together to form sentences. The stress of it all makes being creative impossible.

Here lies the conundrum: stress impacts our ability to be creative, but being creative can help mitigate stress. In fact, some friction can be the inspiration for beautiful acts of creation.

It’s a balancing act, explains Dr Radwa Khalil from the Constructor University Bremen, Germany. With a PhD in neuroscience, and having written extensively on the impact of Creative Arts Therapies (CATs) on stress management, Dr Khalil says we can think about how we approach stress as a ‘cognitive appraisal’. “In primary appraisal, individuals assess whether a situation poses a threat or challenge. In secondary appraisal, they evaluate the resources available to cope with the situation.”

Essentially, if the perceived demands exceed our “coping resources”, we hit a tipping point. If not addressed, Dr Khalil notes that this can lead to “anxiety, depression, or burnout. This aligns with the notion that there is a threshold beyond which stress becomes harmful, leading to both psychological and physiological consequences.”

The key is to not allow ourselves to get to this point, but where it lies varies from person to person, which is why we need individual tools to help. “Coping mechanisms can be adaptive or maladaptive, and often develop through a combination of personal experiences, social interactions, and environmental factors,” says Dr Khalil.

In her work, Dr Khalil has documented how CATs can help boost these coping mechanisms, covering a broad spectrum of activities – from art therapy to dance movement therapy – and can be used to both prevent people getting to that tipping point, or bring them back from it.

And the useful thing is that we can easily apply creativity into our daily lives. Psychotherapist and founder of Serene Lifestyles Dr Belynder Walia says: “Creativity can step in like a reset button, helping you pause and redirect your focus. Freewriting – where you jot down whatever comes to mind – can help slow racing thoughts, while mindful activities like colouring can ease you into a more grounded state. Think of it as giving your mind something new to play with when stuck in a stress spiral.”

However, you might need to calm your body down from fight-or-flight mode before any kind of creativity is possible. She suggests: “Simple grounding techniques like breathing deeply, splashing cold water on your face, or gently shaking your arms and legs can signal to your nervous system that you’re safe. Creativity can take over once tension starts to ease, helping you process what’s left.”

Belynder also suggests not putting pressure on yourself to tackle a huge creative project. “Creativity in these moments isn’t about producing something – it’s about giving yourself a way to shift energy, however small that first step might be.” And this is the duality. Creativity can be both the thing that calms you, and the step you take once calmness begins.

Small amounts of stress shouldn’t send us into high alert, and can actually be an impetus for creating. Artist Rebecca Harrington works with the time pressure of balancing her job as a teaching assistant, parenthood, and her art practice. “If I am feeling frazzled by life on a day when I am painting, I actually find that fixating on my art lifts any tension quite quickly,” she says, adding that being at her easel allows her to remain “unruffled” in her other roles. “I don’t need to be calm to make art, but making art makes me calm.”

Mild pressure, Belynder agrees, can energise you, sharpen your focus, and push you to think creatively. “Many people find their best ideas emerge when working against a ticking clock, or tackling a problem that demands some quick thinking.”

But we must remain aware of where our stress tipping point is. If cortisol starts to course, our prefrontal cortex will be disrupted, and this is where the problem-solving, decision-making, and creativity takes place. Taking steps to stop ourselves getting to that point requires self-awareness, and practised use of methods to induce calm.

As Belynder says: “By keeping stress at a manageable level, and reframing it as energy, you can harness it to fuel your creativity, without letting it become a barrier. Creativity then works because it doesn’t demand you to fix your stress – it simply gives you a safe way to let it out.”