We hear the word “mindful” a lot these days- articles about mindfulness and meditation are everywhere. These words are used so frequently that many people I talk to are somewhat confused about what they really mean. Let’s explore what “mindful” means in the context of Mindful Creativity (since that’s what I use in my therapy practice) and how it differs from the equally important “mindless” creativity.
Mindfulness, or doing things with conscious intent and awareness, is different from distracting yourself from the present moment with a mindless activity, but both have value. It’s important to know when to use one or the other. If you don’t understand the difference, you might not get the benefit of each.
“Mindless” creativity- crafting on autopilot
Calling something “mindless” may sound like a criticism, but I don’t mean it that way. For example, sometimes when I’m crafting - such as knitting or crocheting, it’s a just a nice activity. I might do it while I’m watching TV, or talking to a friend, or waiting for a doctor’s appointment. It keeps my hands busy and makes me feel like I’m not wasting time.
Sometimes it’s crucial for me to be able to craft or make art when I’m going through a rough time and I actively need to distract myself from the present moment. I can escape for a while, or I can focus on art making to stop ruminating about some other situation.
I also enjoy coloring, where I can experiment with different techniques and materials, but I can also easily zone out while I’m doing it since the image I’m filling in is already there. It’s pleasant but not challenging.
When I’m doing something mindlessly, such as doodling, I like the feeling of my body moving, even if it’s just my fingers. This need to move, and the way it helps regulate the body and mind, is called “stimming”- more about that later. Not only do I find it soothing to doodle it also keeps me alert in situations where I need to pay attention, such as a lecture or business meeting.
Mindless creativity serves a number of purposes, but should be distinguished from mindful creativity:
“Mindful” creativity- full attention
One of the definitions of mindfulness is “doing only one thing at a time”. At times I might knit or do some other craft with my full attention on it. I may need to be particularly focused because I am working out some complicated instructions, or there is a fiddly part with super glue and I can’t look away or disaster will ensue.
I also include in this definition doing a craft or art project intentionally to process thoughts. So for example I might have a client in a therapy session work on a specific project while we talk, so they can talk about their emotions more freely. Even though the person is not giving the art activity their full attention (they may also be talking to me), they can effectively toggle back and forth, getting the benefit of each activity blended together to make a new modality. (Note, this split but blended attention is not the same as multitasking, which turns out to be Not a Thing.) Often I will have a client tell me later that they were able to connect ideas, have insights, or solidify a concept because we were talking and creating at the same time.
Sometimes my clients will be visibly going back and forth between focusing on what they are making, and engaging in talk therapy with me. I need to notice what’s happening- if it’s a struggle, I sometimes just allow them to become absorbed in what they are doing. Other times I will note whether the person is focusing on art to avoid talking, and gently guide them to come back to the issue we are discussing (if we need to).
Summary: Both are good but for different circumstances
Now that you can see the benefits of practicing both mindful and mindless creativity, be sure to distinguish when to use each.
Mindful creativity is good for: helping you to focus in the moment, blocking out distractions, and organizing your thoughts and emotions.
Mindless creativity is good for : distracting from unpleasant situations, relaxing.
If you're one of those many people who wake up in the middle of the night, it can be hard to get back to sleep sometimes. You might be feeling anxious or your might find that your mind is racing. Mindful creative therapy for sleep is a great way to spend some time in a relaxing way. As always, you don't have to do whatever craft i'm doing, but I like to introduce different things that I find helpful.