When Creativity Helps Rebuild Self-Worth
When I became too ill to work a “normal job,” I began to seriously doubt my worth. I felt like I wasn’t contributing anything, became deeply low, and honestly struggled to keep going. But I still had one thing to fall back on—creativity. So I started making the kind of art I used to seek out during my hardest moments, hoping it might offer comfort to someone else too.
The project that really helped me reconnect with my sense of value was my calendar and the Threads of Thought collection. It was built around the idea of creating calm, supportive artwork paired with quotes that remind us of our worth and encourage gentleness with ourselves. These aren’t your usual surface-level affirmations—they’re words by female authors in the public domain who had their own challenges to overcome. (Side note: my calendar is on sale if you'd like to grab one!)
Another practice that really helped me is neurography—a mindful drawing technique that lets you process difficult emotions while making something beautiful. When I’m creating, I can lose myself in the process (some days more easily than others—and that’s okay). It helps shift my mood and soothe my nervous system. Whether the end result is “perfect” or not isn’t the point. Even if something doesn’t turn out how I imagined, I usually learn something in the process.
That said, I still wrestle with perfectionism. But when I share my work—whether it’s embroidered, painted, written, or musical—I’m reminded that others rarely notice the imperfections that stand out so clearly to me. That helps me gently reframe things and see the value in the whole picture again.
You don’t need to prove your worth to create. You don’t need to feel “worthy” first. Creativity itself is a way back to that feeling. And no two pieces of art will ever be the same—because no two artists are the same.
If you’re not sure where to start, try zentangle, fingerprint flowers, or even colouring. Sing in the shower. Dance in your kitchen. The smallest acts can remind us that we’re still here, still feeling, still worthy.
Over to you: What’s one moment when being creative helped you feel more grounded, worthy, or whole?