Creativity - a missing link in mental health?

One thing that I always notice in my work - is that adults are often afraid to make music or sometimes engage in music therapy because they might get it wrong. Why? I mean as children we're always trying something new - making up our own games - unafraid. But something happens and we lose that courage to just have a go. Our education system is set up for us to get jobs and that there is a right way and a wrong way. So you either keep trying till you get it right or you get it wrong and then give up - or not try at all - cos if you don't try at least you don't have the chance for failure.

So who decides what's right and what's wrong? When we come into adulthood and discover that there are no rules for sustaining or forming relationships - there's no rules on creating the lives that we want - no guidelines on being human - no rules on expressing our authentic selves - we start to get a little lost...possibly because we have not been taught to create without borders.

I believe that creativity in education is essential - and it is missing in the way the learn as children, young people and adults. Without creativity we become afraid of what could go wrong instead of thinking of the wrongs as being part of the process. I also wonder whether there is a link between the way we educate - and the cognitive distortions we take on?

I also believe that creativity in mental health recovery is essential. Creativity develops many life skills:

• The ability to see one situation from many perspectives
• The ability to feel emotions and express oneself authentically
• The ability to make connections
• The ability to engage in the present moment or understand the past
• The desire to make change and try something new
• The ability to withhold judgment (from the self and others)
• and I'm sure many more...

Need any more excuses to get your creative on?