7 Creative Activities for Mindfulness and Relaxation

Release stress, express yourself, and engage your creative muscles with these feel-good crafts from bullet journaling to pottery-making

Even if you have a creative day job, there is something liberating about exploring arts and crafts as a hobby or rainy day activity. With the evidence mounting that expressing our creativity has significant benefits for mental health, we’re recommending seven wellness-boosting activities from the worlds of illustration, fiber art, ceramics, and more.

How do arts and crafts help with mental wellbeing?

Whether you consider yourself an artist, or enjoy crafting as a hobby, hands-on activities can make a difference to our lives. They help us release dopamine (a brain chemical related to excitement), decrease stress hormones, and increase our life satisfaction, according to studies supported by the UK Crafts Council. We can also lose track of time and find ourselves in a state of flow, as explored by US-based psychologist and professor, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi.

In 2019, the BBC produced the Great British Creativity Test with UCL, where fifty thousand participants reported how even one-off creative activities blocked stress and improved self-esteem.

Now you know more about the useful effects of the arts on our brains, explore our eight ideas for relaxing creative activities, with expert-led courses to explore each craft further.

1. Start a bullet journal

Bullet Journaling, or BuJo as it is also known, is an organizational method for planners that also has mental health effects. Not only can the tracking element be helpful for noting when you meditate, drink water, and do other healthy activities, but the act of creation itself can be therapeutic.

Many bullet journalers bring illustration techniques into their spreads. To learn more, check out the courses available from artist Annie Weir (@a_journal_by_annie), including Floral Drawings to Illustrate your Bullet Journal. You’ll explore different media to draw flowers and build a meditative journal practice.

2. Create a life sketchbook

If BuJo seems too rigid, and you want to explore freeform ideas, an art sketchbook is perfect. You can record feelings and events in a fluid and broad way, incorporating whatever media you have to hand.

By now most of us have probably heard of mindfulness: the act of bringing your mind into the present moment and noticing the sensations of the world around you.

The flow state of sketchbooking is a great way to be mindful, and this course by illustrator Kate Sutton (@suttonkate) might just help you along the way. Without worrying about the outcome, create a sanctuary for yourself in your Illustrated Life Journal.

3. Doodle!

Freehand doodling is something many of us do by instinct—we even recorded a podcast all about it! But often, we’re encouraged not to: by a strict teacher, or a boss, or our own sense that we "should" be working.

That’s why it’s so freeing to get back to doodling. Freehand calligraphy is a fun style to try out: there is something so satisfying about perfecting the curve of a letter and seeing your message come to life.

If you want to share meaningful messages through your doodles, check out Grace Frösén’s (@gracecallidesigns) course, Creative Doodling and Hand-Lettering for Beginners.

4. Draw and color mandalas

A mandala is a geometric arrangement of symbols or shapes. They’re generally circular, with patterns that build from the center outwards. The fact that you could keep drawing outwards forever references the idea of infinity, but also a sense of diving into your deeper self.

You can find mandalas everywhere, from their original locations like temples and the natural world, to modern uses like coloring books and tattoo designs. We’ve previously shared some mandala art books for inspiration, as well as free, ready-made mandala designs for coloring in.

But if you’re keen to create your own, you can learn more with Lizzie Snow (@fortyonehundred) and her course The Art of Mandala Drawing.

5. Try weaving

Let’s move onto some textile and fiber art techniques, starting with the calming practice of weaving. Basket weaving is one of the oldest and most widespread crafts in the world; it’s an opportunity to add a splash of color to a room and practice mindful crafting.

Coiling is one key method you can use. Using grasses or rope, you wind your material around and around in a spiral to build it up into a shape of your choosing. This base spiral is bound with wool in many colors.

Tabara N’Diaye (@tabara_ndiaye) is from a region of Senegal famous for its basket weaving. Her course on Basket Weaving for Beginners is perfect for getting started with the coiling technique.

6. Crochet an amigurumi doll

Crochet has exploded back into popularity in recent years, with the technique appearing in fashion, furnishings, and more. As with weaving, you are repeating small actions over and over to create an overall beautiful piece, allowing your mind to clear.

For both relaxing and adorable results, why not try crocheting your own amigurumi? This Japanese art allows you to create stuffed animal toys. You can learn how to create amigurumi with an expert, Marcelo Javier Cortés, or @principe_del_crochet as he’s known online. In Amigurumi Design and Creation, he demonstrates how to make a cute rhinoceros toy using simple crocheted shapes.

For more crochet inspiration, download our free eBook: A Beginner's Guide to Crochet.

7. Make ceramics and pottery

What could be better than a soothing hot drink on a quiet day? Perhaps having made the mug yourself—and even more when this mug is decorated with flowers via a process that will ground you in nature.

Pottery-making is a great way to focus on a unique creative task. Shaping clay and other materials into whatever you imagine can leave you with both fun and functional pieces.

Visual artist and ceramist Hessa Al Ajmani (@hessaalajmani) creates pieces with handpicked flowers from the deserts and mountains around her. In Ceramics with Floral Imprints, she’ll show you how to do the same.

Learn more about creativity and mental health with these resources

1. Learn what art therapy is, and how it can benefit you as a creative person.

2. If you’ve been stuck in a creative rut recently, discover these nine books to revive your creativity and mental wellbeing.

3. If you’ve been inspired to start journaling, check out these twelve top BuJo brands for mindfulness and motivation.