Over the past year, our team has had the privilege of delivering creative wellbeing workshops at Midpark Hospital, a mental health facility offering inpatient care.
These sessions, aimed at both patients and staff, sparked something special. The staff embraced the workshops so enthusiastically that they began running their own weekly creative sessions for patients – embedding creativity into the heart of their care approach.
In this interview, we speak with Caroline, an Advanced Clinical Practitioner Occupational Therapist at Midpark, about how her team has taken a collaborative, long-term approach to integrating creativity into their practice. She shares insights into how occupational therapists already use creativity to support mental health, how the partnership has helped shape new in-house programmes and how an exhibition space is now giving patients the chance to see their work celebrated publicly.
This is a story about collaboration, empowerment and the enduring impact of creative expression in healing.
How does creativity naturally fit into the work you and your team do as occupational therapists in a mental health setting?
As Occupational Therapists, our role is to look at what people need and want to do in their day-to-day lives and the environments in which they do them. This includes self-care, productivity and leisure activities. In mental health, there are many factors that can prevent someone from accessing creative opportunities, which we know are hugely important for enjoyment, fostering hope, managing emotions, feeling a sense of belonging and supporting brain health and cognitive function. That’s why creativity is absolutely central to our service. We adapt and grade activities and environments to remove barriers to participation – whether it’s gardening, baking, weaving, art, music, cooking, photography, role-playing games, nature, dancing or creative writing (the list is endless!), Occupational Therapists will be asking you about it!
Why do you think creative activities are particularly beneficial for patients receiving inpatient care?
I think creative activities are innate, we seek them out from childhood. We learn about the world through them, access our senses through them, make friends through them. We use them to relax and switch our minds off or to stimulate our thinking with ideas and new connections. We should never stop creating – and if we find ourselves in a place where creativity is missing or has become a forgotten part of us, we’re likely missing out on a vital balance of experiences in life. Those are the times when we might need a bit of help or simply an opportunity to reconnect with creativity, because it’s so important, for so many reasons. It’s hard to fully capture in words the emotional, social, physical and cognitive impact of creative activities, but research shows that being creative is good for us.
How have the sessions delivered by DG Creative Wellbeing influenced your team’s approach to embedding creativity into inpatient care?
The DG Creative Wellbeing sessions have had a big impact on all the staff who have attended – not only the Occupational Therapists, who’ve been learning new techniques and experimenting with new materials, building confidence in the creative activities we offer – but also the nursing staff who’ve taken part. We’re all learning together, in collaboration with individuals from the wards, sharing the experience and being part of something meaningful. It’s been a fantastic journey so far, and when you have that kind of positive experience, you’re much more likely to do it again.
In what ways have the ideas and feedback from those initial sessions helped shape your own programme of workshops?
Because the sessions regularly gathered feedback, we were able to revamp our own groups to include multiple wards and shared environments. It made us more responsive to what people wanted and actually helped us push the boundaries of our own service. We now regularly run an evening group – outside of traditional ‘core hours’ – which has brought multiple benefits, giving individuals access to therapeutic activity at a time when many of us would naturally engage in creativity ourselves.
What kind of response have you seen from both patients and staff since introducing these regular creative sessions?
These regular creative sessions have had a real impact. The group has grown with each session and we’ve seen up to 20 participants at a time – that’s about a quarter of the hospital! Having the sessions be intergenerational has also opened up opportunities for collaboration and created social spaces that aren’t typically available, forging friendships across different age groups. The key is that everyone who attends wants to be there and that makes it all the more meaningful and enjoyable. We’ve even had Occupational Therapy staff come in on their days off to take part and nursing staff have swapped shifts just so they can attend too!
Could you tell us more about the exhibition space and what it means for patients to have their work displayed publicly?
Initially, there was definitely some anxiety around agreeing to have work shared and understandably so. Creativity is personal and no one is ever expected to share anything they’re not comfortable with. That said, now that the display is up in the hub area of the hospital, I’ve had the privilege of witnessing a few individuals’ reactions in real time when they saw their work on display for the first time. Not one reaction has been negative. Each time, it’s started with surprise, followed by excitement or disbelief that their work is up on the wall, brightening the space and then, most beautifully, pride, as they share that achievement with others.
What does a long-term, sustainable approach to creativity in mental health care look like to you?
I believe the Cultural Partnership and the Creative Health manifesto are highlighting some really important points and establishing a clear vision for creativity in the region. While sustainability remains a challenge across all organisations, the message is clear: collaboration is key. Dumfries and Galloway is rich in culture and heritage, with a strong history in mental health care at the Crichton Royal Hospital, where care was centred around visual arts, nature, music, drama and literature. We must work together with community partners, health and social care organisations, and most importantly, truly listen to the voices of lived experience to ensure that creativity’s impact on quality of life, health and wellbeing is embedded in mental health care – long before, during and after any hospital admission.
What advice would you give to other mental health facilities thinking about embedding creativity into their care model?
I’d say, if you haven’t already, reach out to creative organisations in your communities and work together. Enhance your spaces, build networks, share ideas and skills and explore barriers to participation while striving to be more inclusive. I like to think there are no negative side effects to creative activities, but do gather feedback regularly and adjust your approach based on it. It’s important to think creatively within your own services, offering bespoke opportunities and learning materials that meet the needs of your communities – and that includes hospitals too.
Looking Ahead
Caroline’s insights highlight just how powerful creativity can be in supporting recovery, building confidence and nurturing connection – not just for patients, but for the staff who support them every day. What started as a series of workshops has grown into something much bigger: a shared vision for embedding creativity into care. As Midpark continues to develop its own creative programme, we’re proud to have played a part in planting the seeds and we look forward to continuing our work with them this year
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