As we begin Mental Health Awareness Week, we’re taking a moment to reflect on the ethos that’s at the heart of everything we do at DG Creative Wellbeing:
Enriching lives with meaningful creative interventions, events and activities
Whether it’s through painting, writing, music or movement – creative expression offers powerful ways to process emotions, reduce stress and connect with others. It gives people space to breathe, imagine and heal.
That’s why creativity is at the core of every wellbeing session, workshop and project we run.
This year, Mental Health Awareness Week celebrates the power and importance of community.
“Being part of a safe, positive community is vital for our mental health and wellbeing. We thrive when we have strong connections with other people and supportive communities that remind us, we are not alone. Communities can provide a sense of belonging, safety, support in hard times, and give us a sense purpose.”
Importantly, the work we do doesn’t just happen in communities – it also helps to build them. Through shared creative experiences, people form new, supportive connections that last well beyond the sessions themselves. These relationships are part of what makes this work meaningful and lasting.
Why creativity?
Creativity activates areas of the brain linked to emotion, reward and memory. It lowers cortisol (the stress hormone), boosts dopamine (the “feel-good” chemical) and helps people express things they may struggle to say with words.
We’ve seen firsthand how creative activities can:
- Build confidence and a sense of purpose
- Offer a safe outlet for complex feelings
- Reduce isolation and foster connection
- Support recovery and long-term mental wellbeing
Creativity in Action at Midpark
One powerful example is our ongoing collaboration with Midpark Hospital. What began as a series of creative wellbeing sessions for staff and patients has now blossomed into a weekly programme run by the hospital’s own OT team.
It’s a shining example of how creativity can ripple outward – empowering staff, inspiring patients and embedding wellbeing into the heart of care.
Creativity is for everyone
You don’t have to be “good” at art to benefit from creative expression.
Start small. Try:
- Drawing a quick doodle while you drink your coffee
- Writing a few lines in a journal
- Moving to a song that lifts your mood
- Taking a photo of something beautiful in your day
Mental health belongs to all of us and creativity is one way we can take care of it, together.
This week at DG Creative Wellbeing
We’ll be sharing:
- A wonderful interview with an Occupational Therapist
- Stories from participants in our workshops
- Easy creative prompts you can try at home
- Reflections on creativity and community
Let’s use this week to reconnect, express and create in the name of wellbeing! Because when creativity is supported, so are people. And when we nurture that creative spark, we don’t just support individuals, we grow communities around them.
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