Embracing Creativity and Play for Brain Change
Coming into August, I feel the summer glow reduce just a little. I am reminded to soak in every blissful ray of sun, every ounce of beauty, and leave room for the experiences which I find the most precious. For me those experiences are that which have no expectations, no rules other than kindness, and that invite and encourage my most authentic, jovial self to shine. July was a festival. August feels like a play date. I thought of this while sitting in a 1 ft tide pool at the beach with my best friend. We were trying to catch minnows with a little red, handheld net (broken, I'll add) and creatively problem solve how to do so when constantly unsuccessful. Eventually, we noticed their attraction to the dusted up sand as we floundered about in chase. We began dusting up the sand which lured them closely around our fingers to nibble at the particles. We were still unsuccessful …but among getting a closer encounter with the fishies and intermittently discovering purple and gold marbled seashells, we laughed at our childlike selves in our "miniature hottub.” We– two adults– were having so much fun.
Upon reflection, I realized how differently I was using my mind. I gave myself permission to relieve responsibility. I journeyed outside of my day to day routine. I was fully immersed in that present, playful moment determined to catch and release these little aquatic creatures for no real reason other than to be closer to them in existence for a brief time. Through the space for anything to be possible without pressure for performance, pace, or productivity, my soul rendered through laughter and creativity on how to fish in a tide pool. I was lighter and happier for it, ultimately receiving from this experience a knowingness that I could access a form of peace through playing and giggling like a five year old again. That I didn’t have to be a robot of work flow and worry. I could give myself space, have a new experience, and prove my ability to participate in my life in a different way.
Moreover, “The child in me,” “My childlike self,” “Being a kid again,” are not refrains we say for no reason. Us adults are often amazed at “the things kids come up with” because we forget what it’s like to be engulfed in a state of imagination and possibility. We have to do lists and too much influence from the world around us. But, kids, in their blank slate states, can bring anything into existence with the expression of their little souls beaming creatively, whimsically, and innovatively through their little minds and bodies.
The key note here is that we can bring anything into existence. This means that we can also imagine and create a greater state of wellbeing than what we may be experiencing. This process is supported by the practice of creativity and play as it works on the brain's neuroplasticity, which is the brain’s ability to change. It’s easy to follow the programming of our emotional minds and bodies to be productive, urgent, anxious, negative, etc, and it may be challenging in those states to believe a new reality is possible. However, with small steps of practice, like playing in a tide pool, it is possible to give yourself a new experience of ease. That one small experience of ease and the use of creativity in any way proves to the brain and body that another reality or wellbeing is possible. I’ll leave you a few references without getting too deep into the science, here. I’ll also leave a brief list of ways you can or may already be practicing creativity everyday. I’m hopeful that this note inspires you to practice connecting with your most authentic, even childlike self, and explore the possibility of brain change for the better.
Happy creating. Happy playing. Happy changing!
Quick options for creativity and play:
Cook dinner with random pantry items
Make up a game
Construction project
Make up a word and what it means
Draw scribbles with no intention and find pictures them
Write a poem
Rearrange or decorate a room
Brainstorm an imaginary world with someone
Put together a new outfit
Make a little house out of items in nature
References
Cleveland Clinic. (2023). What Is Neuroplasticity? How It Works. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/neuroplasticity
Jean-Berluche, D.(2024). Creative expression and mental health. Journal of Creativity, 34(2). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yjoc.2024.100083.
Kristof, E., & Wallace, J. (2026). Creativity, Trauma, and the Nervous System: Why Healing Expands What’s Possible. Trauma Rewired.
https://open.spotify.com/episode/5tEZBndRqr3TwYaR2m98g7?si=36cdeb4b7f3a4a24