A 2026 review in Nature Reviews Psychology identified mechanisms through which arts engagement supports mental health and wellness, spanning neurological, psychological, social, and behavioural pathways. It found that it is the interaction between these mechanisms, rather than any single pathway, that explains the arts' impact (Fancourt et al., 2026).

Creativity isn't a wellness luxury. For many communities, it's always been a means of survival. A reflection on what this means for the helping professions.

Your Creativity Is Calling | Reconnecting with Creativity in 2026

Creativity is something you’ve always had. It isn’t something you’ve lost; it’s been waiting. A reflection for helping professionals on reconnecting with creativity as a source of energy and well-being.

Creative Reflection: A different way to reflect on your year

This blog is a reflective space for helping professionals who are seeking more sustainable, creative, and compassionate ways of working and living. Here, I explore creativity as a form of restoration, reflection, and reconnection, offering a new perspective and practices for those who give a lot, and are learning to give back to themselves too.

Play is Not a Reward for Productivity | Essential Self-Care

Discover why treating play as a reward harms well-being. Learn how to integrate play into your daily life for better balance, creativity, and mental health.

You Have Permission

Too often, we put our creative projects on hold, thinking we need to earn the right to pursue what lights us up. We tell ourselves we'll write that story after things at work calm down, learn to paint when the kids are older, or start that project when we have more time.

But permission isn't something that comes from outside. It's something you give yourself.

How to Nurture Your Creativity and Flourish

We've all been there. We sit down to begin a creative project, whether it's writing, drawing, crafting, or starting that business idea that's been whispering to us, and suddenly the fears rush in. "What if I get it wrong? What if people think it's terrible? What if I embarrass myself?"

These fears are so common that they're almost universal among creatives…

In the helping professions, oppressive systems serve to isolate us. When we come together through creativity and collective care and decolonise our practices, we guard against depletion and build the change we need.

Slowing down and embracing creative practices are acts of resistance. They help us remember that we are more than our productivity. They give us tools for imagining and creating the changes we want to see.  

Creative practice, whether it’s painting, writing, sculpting, knitting, dancing, or singing, can be deeply transformative, so long as the inner critic doesn’t hijack the process.

Recently, I had the pleasure of appearing on Dr. Hayley Quinn's "Welcome to Self®" podcast. We discussed how embracing creativity can transform our lives. Here are some of the key insights from our conversation.