Creativity As Cure

Getting Back To You, Boo!

I saw the video above the other night. It is by a new-to-me creator, Carlos Martinez, whose channel is called Bokeh Bushido. His videos usually focus on photography and videography, but in this particular video, he steps back from gear and technique and talks about something much bigger: Creativity as medicine.

More specifically, he talks about how putting your natural-born talents can heal a lot of what ails us. And not in a fluffy, motivational poster kind of way. But in a practical, simple kind of way.

His theory stopped me in my tracks because I know it’s true for me. Creativity has pulled me out of more caves, funks, and spirals than I can count. Again and again.

And yet, somehow, I still forget.

Instead of reaching for what I know helps, I tend to default to other solutions first. Like prescription meds. Like talk therapy. And to be clear, those have their place and work for a lot of people. I am not anti any of them. But for me, they tend to be less effective on their own. And even when they do help, they often feel like temporary relief.

Which begs the question I keep coming back to. If I know creativity works, why do I doubt it? Why do I forget? Why do I keep looking elsewhere?

At first glance, the idea that creativity can help heal anxiety and depression sounds too simple. Like something you’d find stitched onto a throw pillow at HomeGoods. Just be creative and you will feel better. Sure, Karen. Word art for the win.

But the longer I sit with it, the more it rings true in a way that feels both comforting and confrontational. Comforting because it offers hope. Confrontational because it quietly asks, if this helps so much, why are you not doing it more?

Most of us know, deep down, we’re all born creative. For some people, it is painting or writing. For others, it is cooking, organizing, teaching, fixing, styling, building, performing, or simply listening. It does not have to be impressive. It does not have to be productive. It just has to be yours.

“The meaning of life is to find your gift.
The purpose of life is to give it away.”
Pablo Picasso

Somewhere along the way, many of us learned to abandon our gifts. Encouraged to be sensible, realistic, and efficient, creativity was reframed as a luxury. Or worse, a distraction. Something to return to after the real work was done. If there was time. If we were lucky.

Then we wonder why we feel anxious, disconnected, depressed, restless, or stuck. We start looking outside ourselves for relief and answers. Therapists. Supplements. Morning routines. Productivity hacks. Vision boards. Wellness apps. Doom scrolling.

All of these things have their place. But what if part of the ache comes from being estranged from ourselves?

When you are not using the tools you were born with, something in you goes quiet. Or loud in the wrong way. That energy does not disappear. It turns inward. It hardens into frustration, numbness, or constant self-criticism. You start to feel like life is happening to you instead of through you.

Creativity is not just about making art. It is about making meaning. It is about participation. About agency. About remembering that you are not just here to consume and cope, but to create and express.

When I look back at the times I’ve felt most like myself, there is a clear pattern: I was making something. Writing. Designing. Shooting. Experimenting. Playing. Sharing ideas without obsessing over whether they were good enough or profitable enough.

And when I forget to practice my creativity, my light and mood darken. I get irritable and tired in ways sleep can’t fix. Sound familiar?

Mr. Martinez’s point is not that creativity magically fixes everything. It is that action and engagement matter. The simple act of using our creative gifts helps us move toward ourselves instead of working against ourselves.

It reminds me that healing is not always about fixing what is broken. Sometimes it is about remembering what was always there and giving it some air, light, and water to grow and bloom again.

This is not about quitting your job tomorrow or turning every passion into a side hustle. Unless that’s your calling. This is about letting yourself engage with what comes naturally, without asking your creativity to justify its existence.

I recommend doing whatever it takes to get you back to you, boo. So maybe:

• Doodle for five minutes.

• Write one messy paragraph.

• Cook without a recipe.

• Rearrange a room just because it feels good.

• Sing in the car and the shower.

If you have been feeling off lately, consider this a gentle nudge, not a lecture. Ask yourself what you loved before you were told to “grow up.” What you think about when no one is around. What makes you feel a little more like you on the inside.

Creativity might not cure everything. But it might help you breathe a little easier. And honestly, that feels like a good place to start. Just breathe…

Keep calm and create on!
Clint 🌈✌️

COLLIDE PRESS is a reader-supported publication.
Please consider becoming a Paid Subscriber or Patron.

NEW + NOW PLAYING

New = On YouTube
MEN BACK THEN #3

Now Playing = On Substack
STEPPING BACK IN TIME (NSFW)

Now Playing = On YouTube
MEN BACK THEN #1 + MEN BACK THEN #2

BORN THIS WAY ON THIS DAY

• 01-30 = Claudia Brind-Woody (1955- ) = American business executive 🌈

• 01-30 = Helen G. James (1928- ) = American physical therapist and veteran 🌈

• 01-30 = Howard Sturgis (1855-1920) = English writer 🌈

• 01-30 = Stewart McKinney (1931-1987) = American politician 🌈

---

MAN CRUSH(ES) OF THE DAY

GREGORY PECK

“Tough times don’t last, tough people do, remember?”
Gregory Peck