What does women’s wellness look like right now? Wellness and nutrition marketing, weight loss messaging, and beauty industry pilling aside, how can women practice wellness without feeling like they’re feeding into the beauty standard machine being marketed to us?
Finding an art community or class has been my biggest mental stabilizer lately. For 2-3 hours, two times per week, I sit in a ceramics studio and get my hands so messy that I couldn’t touch my phone if I wanted to. Instead of scrolling, working, doing chores, worrying about my to-do list, or worrying about anything at all, I am hunched over wet clay and creating whatever my hands decide to for that moment.
I’ve been a Pilates girl for 1.5 years and took boxing classes before that– which was great! But exercise does not take my mind off of the world because I am either thinking about beauty standards in the back of my head or thinking about the things happening in the world that are upsetting me (and I take it out on the punching bag). Even if you’re not exercising to fit the beauty standard in any way– it’s hard to remove it from that because the messaging in those spaces is heavily saturated with weight loss sentiment.
I create content for fun. I used to make social media content “for myself,” and I write on Substack now. Except they weren’t actually for me. I was still sharing that content with an audience and expecting some sort of outcome from it.
Why Having A Creative Outlet Now Is So Important
If you’re at all highly concerned about the job market, policy, the economy, your business, your community, or the current state of mind in this country, I’d say you definitely could use a creative outlet the most.
Right now, you may be feeling anxious, angry, burnt out, or any other unsavory emotion tied to you caring about the previously listed topics. Escapism is hard. If Solange taught us anything, it’s that you can’t drink, sex, or shop it away. Trying to escape into your phone, laptop, or TV is laughable at this point. Hence why art is so important…
Creativity stimulates the brain to promote positive emotions and decrease stress hormones. Creative expressions allow for self reflection, inducing a flow state (which is a good distraction), and conveying emotions you cannot speak. A study by Arts and Minds, an arts and mental health charity, found when people are given a chance to create art, they felt better. 71% felt a decrease in feelings of anxiety, 73% felt a decrease in depression, 76% of participants said their well-being increased, and 69% of participants felt more socially included.
Creative Outlet Opportunities Around HOU
- Habibi Bazaar Rug Tufting $$
- The Mad Potter, ceramics painting $-$$
- Semester-long classes at Glassell School of Art $$-$$$
- Courses at The Art League $-$$$
- Honey Art Cafe $
- Pinots Palette Paint & Sip $
- Sur La Table cooking classes $-$$
Art events and activities pop up all around Houston, including free opportunities! Our city is full of creatives that can help you find something you may be interested in. One place you can find them: Sesh! Pop in and ask around!
