Embracing Creativity: A New Initiative to Spark Your Imagination

Last May, my father-in-law arrived with a child-sized drum set in his car trunk. While some parents might hesitate, I was delighted. Having been a drummer in my youth with a similar kit, I was excited for my 7-year-old son to perhaps follow in my footsteps.

Over the past year, I’ve learned two important lessons. First, you cannot force children to adopt your interests; my son has barely spent 15 minutes playing those drums. More significantly, I realized that I’m not a former drummer—I’m still one. Even though I hadn’t engaged with drumming for years, my routine trips downstairs often include a few minutes of playing. While I’m far from creating harmonious music — just ask my neighbors — I thoroughly enjoy it, and each session leaves me feeling invigorated.

This creative spark is something that the health and wellness team at Well, a personal health section, believes everyone can benefit from. Starting tomorrow, they are launching a five-day challenge aimed at encouraging readers to cultivate their creative abilities. I spoke with Elizabeth Passarella, the journalist behind this initiative, to gain further insight.

Why does engaging in creative activities feel so rewarding, especially after a long break?

The feeling you experience is common when engaging in creative work: a sense of joy and inspiration. Whether you’re involved in traditionally creative tasks like painting or music, or simply improvising in everyday situations—such as adapting a recipe due to missing ingredients—it provides a mood boost. Extensive research supports the connection between creative expression and enhanced happiness and emotional well-being.

Some readers may be naturally talented artists or musicians, but others might believe they lack such abilities. What advice would you offer to those who feel they aren’t creative?

Creativity exists in everyone in some form. Researchers define it as producing something new that is also useful. This might be composing a film score, but it could equally be devising an effective way to keep a dog out of a certain room or inventing a playful game for a toddler.