BalanceMayIssue2017 - 33

P U R E I MAGINATION

mind
yoga

frustrating, also offer opportunities for pride, stretch
and personal, concrete satisfaction.'
Not only an excellent way to escape from the
stresses of modern life, being creative actually helps
us to train our brain to work and think differently.
Shelley H Carson, author of Your Creative Brain
(£19.43, Jossey Bass), says: 'We quit thinking about
our own fears and stressors and focus on what is
novel and original. If we do this with frequency,
we can train our brains to automatically explore
rather than avoid.'

Did you know,
72%* of people
have the best
creative insights
while they're
taking a shower?
Letting your
mind wander as
you stand under
a stream of hot
water, makes
an excellent
incubator
of ideas. So,
next time one
comes to you,
jot it down
afterwards.

AN INSPIRED JOUR NEY
Even better, creativity itself breeds creativity. Being
actively imaginative helps us to gain confidence
in our abilities, and we are therefore more likely
to think creatively in other aspects of our life,
whether that is at work, social situations or in

SOURCES: HSE.GOV.UK, GENE COHEN, TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY, OFCOM

our relationships. 'We begin to trust our inherent
emotional intelligence and we find new solutions
to what may have stumped us before,' adds Barbara
Diane Barry, author of Painting Your Way Out of
a Corner (£15.99, Tarcher).
And it seems that thriving careers and creative
pursuits often go hand-in-hand. Throughout history,
some of the most successful people have found
creative hobbies to be the ultimate tonic. Winston
Churchill painted regularly during his time in office,
and felt expressing himself artistically proved the
ideal way to combat the stresses of a world war.
Albert Einstein played both the piano and the violin
throughout his career as a physicist, while poet
Emily Dickinson was also an accomplished baker.
If all this talk of creativity has got you inspired,
you'll be pleased to hear that incorporating it
into your life shouldn't be difficult. Most crucially, it
doesn't matter what hobby you take up, or whether
you have any natural talent. It's more about the

What
are you
waiting
for?
Move away
from the
screen and
embrace
creativity by
trying one of
these classes
around
London...

Preserving

Learn the art of
preserve making
from distinguished
preserver and
the author of The
Modern Preserver
(£20, Square Peg),
Kylee Newton.
Join Kylee in her
Hackney kitchen
for a masterclasses
and learn how to
make jams, pickles,
chutneys and more.
newtonandpott.
co.uk

Floristry

process than the final product.
Failure in this instance is actually
beneficial. 'Ignore people who
tell you you're not good enough
at your chosen hobby and just
enjoy the learning experience,' says Shelley.

EXPRE SS YOURSELF
With mindfulness the buzzword du jour, the
concept of creativity for health and happiness is
having a major renaissance. The popularity of adult
colouring books designed specifically for relaxation
has skyrocketed. In 2015, 15 million of these books
were sold - 15 times the amount sold the previous
year. And unsurprisingly, London itself is a hotbed
of creativity, with classes popping up offering
everything from screen printing to preserve-making.
Take MindfFOLDness, an origami company whose

workshops are dubbed by founder Sam Tsang as
'yoga for the mind'. Sam believes the current trend
for embracing creativity is a direct reaction to our
digital lifestyles. 'Many of us spend eight hours a
day sitting in front of a
screen, creating virtual
documents that are read
once and never seen
SOME OF THE MOST
again,' says Sam. 'We
SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE
therefore need to have
FOUND HOBBIES TO BE
a creative outlet to
THE ULTIMATE TONIC.
express ourselves,
WINSTON CHURCHILL
and make something
PAINTED REGULARLY
that is tangible.'
Whether it's writing
in a notebook, recording a tune or spinning a pot,
hobbies allow us to reconnect with the physical,
and tune into inspiration, symbols and our
collective consciousness.
There is no time like the present to get started. B

Go back to nature
in the heart of
the city with a
class from florist,
Grace and Thorn.
From arranging
a fresh flower
display to creating
a terrarium jungle,
their relaxed
workshops held
across the capital
will give you a basic
education in all
things floristry.
graceandthorn.com

Calligraphy

Join a class in
calligraphy by Quill.
It runs beginners
classes throughout
London, teaching
modern calligraphy
techniques.
Starting with
exercises to
practise strokes
and shapes, you'll
leave the session
well on your way
to writing phrases
and quotes.
quilllondon.com

Ukulele

Regardless of
whether you have
musical experience
or not, one hour
with Learn To
Uke and you'll be
impressing people
with a tune on the
instrument. You'll
meet friendly
people who are up
for jams and attend
classes to perfect
your skills - or
practise at home.
learntouke.co.uk

May 2017 BALANCE

Knitting

As well as running
their sustainable
online knitted
goods store, Wool
and the Gang runs
knitting parties at
lots of locations in
the city. Unravel
with friends, learn
a new craft and
eventually take
home a new item
of clothing made
by your fine hands.
woolandthegang.
com

Creative
writing

Join the London
Writers Cafe for
reading, writing
and feedback
sessions in
an informal
environment.
Suitable for
beginners and
professionals alike,
the sessions are
inspirational and
encouraging.
meetup.com/
londonwriterscafe

33
http://HSE.GOV.UK http://www.meetup.com/ http://www.co.uk http://www.graceandthorn.com http://www.quilllondon.com http://learntouke.co.uk
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of BalanceMayIssue2017
