It’s been proven creative activities are beneficial to mental health, they calm anxiety by lowering heart rate and give the mind a positive distraction. Here are some ideas to get going on a new healthy hobby that will benefit your wellbeing. I’ve chosen activities that can be done on a small budget and are easy to access. You don’t need to be an expert to get started, the important thing is you give them a try and do it for the enjoyment of it.
1. Knitting
Probably one of the most obvious hobbies. But don’t write it off as something only for your granny just yet. It’s had an image makeover in recent years and there are some really creative and contemporary ways to knit your way into some seriously stylish cosy items.
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2. Colouring-inÂ
Adult colouring-in books have really taken off, and there are some beautifully designed options.
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3. Cross stitch
Really easy to get started, and there are loads of ready-made kits to suit your personality.
4. Journalling
I find getting everything down at the beginning of the day really therapeutic, the good, bad and ugly crop up. It helps frame me to start the day with a more positive outlook. I always ask myself when journalling how can I make this easy? We all carry a lot of mental baggage, and the process of simply writing down thoughts really helps lighten that load.
5. Photography
Most of us have pretty impressive cameras in our pockets now - on our phones. This makes photography more accessible than ever. It’s a great excuse to go visit natural beauty and explore personal interests such as botany in more detail.
 6. Baking/cake decorating
Great for all the family, we often forget how fun baking can be. I use BBC Good Food for recipes, but if you’re after something more adventurous, Pinterest has loads of ambitious bakes. You can go as simple or as ambitious as you like with this hobby.
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7. Sketching or doodling
All you need is a sketchbook and pencil to get started. Drawing was my first love at school. It immediately occupied my mind looking at the object I was drawing, and it is so relaxing. If you’re new to drawing there are many guided drawing books out there you can use to get practice, or simply pick something at home to draw and give it a try. You’ll also find loads of tips on YouTube. My top tip is to spend 90% of your time looking at the object rather than what you have put down on paper, to ensure you are drawing what the object actually looks like. Of course, as you get more confident you can try using all sorts of media and styles, it's a never-ending source of interest for me.
8. Flower pressing
Super easy to do and rewarding. You can create some beautiful handmade artwork for your home using flowers from your garden.
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9. Scrapbooking
Find, collect, stick, doodle, arrange, and have fun putting together inspiration. It can be your own personal journal and be on any subject of interest. Examples include travel, wedding, life goals, garden, and family journals. There’s also a new app ‘Shuffles’ where you can collate your collages on your phone.
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10. Origami
A wonderfully varied hobby that is a beautiful art form in its own right. Again, Pinterest has oodles of origami tutorials for free to get started.
This blog was written by Ruth Egon, an artist that promotes mental well-being through art. Her paintings are joyful, uplifting and celebrate the natural world. You can find her artwork at https://ruthegon.com
Ruth Egon leads an online art membership, The Art Hub Community! We are an inspirational, nurturing and fun art community.
We gather creative souls who are curious about developing their interest in art, through live workshops, forums and inspiring content.
Together we build confidence, express joy and create art that’s authentic to us.
At Art Hub we create art in live group workshops, engage in lively and informative chat forums, share inspiration and grow skills through group challenges. We offer a welcoming, supportive and fun membership, so that we can become an authentic, confident, vibrant, purposeful and connected group of artists.
You don't need any experience to join us, all you need is an interest in art and a willingness to give it a go. Designed to be fun, and engaging and to build your creative confidence, these are the perfect sessions to get you started.
Sign up here:Â https://ruthegon.com/pages/art-hub-community
