The Solution to What Ails Us
It is a bold claim—The Solution to What Ails Us—as though there were a single answer to the weight of the world. But I am becoming convinced of this: The antidote for much of what ails us is creativity.
I know the question that follows. How? What? There is so much going on in the world—how could something as simple (and even lightweight) as creativity possibly be the answer?
In her book Beyond Anxiety, Martha Beck notes that the part of the brain that lights up when we are anxious actually prevents the creative centers of the brain from being active. But the reverse is also true. When we are actively engaged in creativity, that activity physically prevents anxiety from taking hold.
Creativity is literally the anti-venom to anxiety.
I can hear the objections, but you don’t have to be an “artist” to be creative. We are all creators in some form. Maybe you paint or write, but maybe you garden, or quilt, or invent, or cook. There is no prescription for what “counts.” It is simply the act of engaging—tapping into that inner source—that matters.
Anxiety has almost become synonymous with “paying attention” these days. It is easy to assume we must be “on top” of every headline, every political play-by-play, or we are somehow shirking our duty as responsible citizens. I am not suggesting we become ostriches with our heads in the sand. But you also don’t have to have news alerts screaming from your pocket 24/7.
But how will I be informed? you might ask.
Trust me. You will know. That which you need to know, you will know. You can set an intentional, limited “check-in” time once a day. But you do not have to live in the anxious scroll.
I was reminded of the power of creativity just the other day. I was feeling a bit “off.” Nothing in particular had happened; I just felt like the air in my balloon had diminished. Instead of soaring, I was sagging.
It is tempting to give in to that sluggishness, as though by sinking into it, we might eventually find solid ground. But like quicksand, fighting the slump directly can actually suck you deeper into it. What to do?
Instead of giving into it or fighting the sluggishness, I decided to stop giving it all of my attention.
I told myself: Oh, you’re feeling sluggish? A bit off? That’s okay. No need to do anything valiant or heroic today. But instead of sinking, why not take one small step to the side? Why not do something? Create something?
It is like being caught in a rip tide. If you try to swim directly against the current toward the shore, you will only exhaust yourself and be pulled further out to sea. The answer is to swim sideways—perpendicular to the current—until it loses its grip. Only then can you swim back to the shore.
Life is the same. There is no need to “fight” the strongest currents head-on. Instead, we swim to the side.
That day of the sluggishness? I worked on a new project and got so drawn into it that hours passed and I didn’t even notice. I felt excited. Even exhilarated. Nothing had changed in my external circumstances, but everything had changed in my interior landscape.
When I think of swimming to the side, I think of St. Francis. Instead of fighting the corruption of the Church in his day—which would have only entangled him further in the mess—he simply stepped to the side and did something more beautiful.
That is what creativity is. That is what creativity does. It is not some “fluffy,” optional component to life—it is literally the answer.
Creativity doesn’t “solve” the corruption or the crisis immediately, but it gives our nervous systems a reset. It changes us. It allows us to step out of the current so we can approach the world again with more clarity, more curiosity, and more room to breathe.
We step to the side. From there, we can do something more beautiful.
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