Since the beginning of Space to Breathe as a company we’ve valued and applied creativity and the arts as a language, as a way of communicating how we feel. The idea was pretty simple.
Firstly we recognised in ourselves that our words don’t always communicate everything about us. Sometimes we communicate in hand gestures, in cries, in silence and sometimes we communicate in pictures or in ideas which aren’t easy to put into words.
Secondly we thought, lets give space for these abstract ideas to come out. That deep sense of loss we’ve never really expressed. That joyously radical idea we had. We wanted to hear everything.
We realised next that to allow all this expression needed safety. We purposely made psychologically safe training spaces, learning experiences, resources and content that allowed people to feel safe to say what they needed to and to be themselves. Then we worked hard on communicating the idea that being you was a good thing, and being more like you a desirable goal in all walks of life.
With all that in place we experimented. Using pieces of art in the Crystal Peaks Shopping Centre. Using poetry to explore what work is. Allowing doodling, drawing and imagining to be part of our wellbeing journey. The photos below tell all of these stories and they’ve become part of the life of our company.
Its important to say that this journey hasn’t simply created works of art. Creativity is far more than the arts alone. Creativity can be cooking, sport, clothing, language. Creativity can be expressed in new initiatives at work, new projects at college, new ideas for home. There are no rules here. We can all create and what we create has value first and foremost because its been made by us.
So what are the lessons and principles we’ve learnt about creativity and expression that can help build our wellbeing today and enable us to flourish? We wanted to share four ideas to get things started.
Creativity can be the beginning of change
"The creative person is constantly seeking to discover himself, to remodel his own identity and to find meaning in the universe through what he creates."
Anthony Storr 'Solitude'
Creativity as a principle explores imagination, fresh-thinking, new ideas and even sometimes a playful attitude. This is handy because these things bring us out of our normal routine.
If you feel stuck in a rut regarding an idea or process then try thinking creativity. Can I draw this idea? Can I imagine a metaphor or picture for this problem? What new things emerge as I do this?
Change always starts with a spark - an idea, a new thought, a new opportunity. Creativity can provide a doorway to that spark and to a change.
Creativity can enable self-expression
The artist Picasso had a philosophy which showed through his paintings. In the midst of these amazing images and vibrant colours was Picasso’s self-explanation - his sharing of his viewpoints and ideas through his art.
“The artist makes a body of work and this body of work shows through his worldview”
Francis Schaeffer ‘Some Perspectives on Art’
For each of us, our creativity is a way to self-explore and self-explain. Being creative allows those things that are within us to be expressed. Creativity invites our voice to be heard and gives it a platform.
Doodling for example is a great place to start. Writers such as Sunni Brown (“The Doodle Revolution”) have drawn on research and studies which have suggested doodling draws out self-generated cognition, or our inner voice. Why not make space for drawing or doodling when you’re finding the need to express yourself. See what happens.
Creativity is a source of connection
The more I think it over the more I feel that there is nothing more truly artistic than to love people”
Van Gogh
Although it is perfectly possible to be creative alone, the act of creativity often becomes relational. A picture invites understanding and reflection. A word or poem invites people to listen. Put a set of pens or paints in the centre of a group of people, invariably people begin to create together.
We’ve loved using creativity in group settings through our Wellbeing Days for School Staff over the last eighteen months (below.) Its been amazing to see the ways people relate as they create together.
Why not try a creative exercise as a group. Think about your purpose or reason for existing as a group, organisation or team. Put a large sheet of lining paper on a table and some paints and pens and ask people to express this purpose in pictures or colours - no words. See what happens not just in terms of ideas but also how people interact.
Creativity is a language
In his seminal book ‘Some Perspectives on Art’, Francis Schaeffer discusses the ways he interacted with the art of 20th Century sculptor Alberto Giacometti. Schaeffer discusses his love for his work, the ideas that came from seeing pieces and the thoughts they created. He described this as “ a titanic communication” with the artist. Somehow as Giacometti created and Schaeffer then viewed his work, a conversation took place despite the fact the two never met.
Creativity is a language, a way of communicating. For those of us who struggle to find words for our emotions or who might find talking hard - this gives us a new route into self-expression. For those of who feel we’ve heard all the issues that need addressing in our workplace, creativity might give us new avenues to explore and uncover things as yet unsaid.
We used an installation called the Art of Conversation to start wellbeing conversations in companies and amongst health workers. We also used the installation to invite feedback on the NHS through research. Each time we used the installation we found new ideas emerged.
What creative ideas could unlock conversation amongst those you work with?
Experimenting
As we mentioned at the start of this article we found experimenting with ideas was a vital step to unlocking the potential of creativity. Why not give one or more of these ideas a try? Share what happens via a comment below or on social media. We’d love to hear your thoughts.