International Day of Happiness

I've had my share of mental ill-health and have the medicine cupboard and therapy receipts to prove it. At this point in my life, I feel the best I have in years. In the darker days, when things weren't going so well inside my head my mother, here being celebrated by me for the second day in a row (she better not get used to it) told me it was as if the 'song had fallen out of me.'

She was right, of course, she tends to be. However, it wasn't just the song that had left me. I stopped writing, I even stopped doodling on the side of notebooks. Creativity had fallen out of me. As my sense of happiness and joy decreased there was a direct correlation to my creative spark fading.

Today is, as confirmed by UN resolution 66/281, International Day of Happiness. I think it is a great idea to have a day where we can be reminded to try to find something to be happy and celebrate about. The world is often a challenging and painful place to be and with all the required caveats, having a day of coming together and choosing happiness feels laced with hope.

As far back as the 1950s psychologists have been reporting that creative arts improve mental well-being. I am no scientist but it seems that the creative process releases a mix of endorphins, serotonin and dopamine known as the brain's natural feel-good chemicals. This release gives at least a temporary lift to our moods. It is no cure, for many of us we will still need help from medicine and therapy but the link seems clear, it will in some way help our brain chemistry find balance.

The benefits of creativity are not just chemical. Creativity also builds a sense of accomplishment, self-worth and pride. Creativity helps us to express ourselves and build our sense of identity. It communicates our story and forms our thoughts. It helps us build relationships with those we create alongside.

We see evidence of the impact of creativity on mental and social well-being every day in our children's hubs. Children, when given the chance to navigate their own creative processes begin to build their own mental fortitude and sense of self. Children tell their stories in creative writing, art, theatre and photography and feel seen and understood by the world. Children feel a sense of achievement as they see their art exhibited for the community which enables them to dream of much bigger horizons for their futures.

Everything we do at Paper Boat is passed through three lenses; Collaboration, Courage and Creativity. The projects we fund and deliver are focussed on giving children the opportunity to strengthen these three areas of their lives. We believe that these three are essential for life in a 21st-century world.

On this International Day of Happiness, take some time to be creative and learn from the children of Tamil Nadu that creative expression will, at the very least temporarily, bring a little joy to your life.

You can find out more about our work at Paper Boat at paperboatcharity.org.uk

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