New research from VistaPrint reveals half of us cannot find time to be creative, despite mood-boosting benefits and positive impact to economy.
60 per cent of Australians who have a hobby say creativity reduces stress, boosts their mood (65 per cent), helps their clarity and mental focus (51 per cent), and increases motivation (45 per cent). Yet, 32 per cent of Australians say they don’t have enough time or are too busy with work to be creative and 25 per cent find it hard to be creative due to lack of funds available due to higher outgoings such as a mortgage.
According to a new report launched by VistaPrint today, we’re at risk of ‘creativity deficit’: with lack of funds and time being the three biggest culprits currently sapping our creative pursuits.
Hot on the heels of the Government’s National Cultural Policy launched earlier this year, aiming to recognise the creative industries as vital contributors to our economy1, the research highlights the everyday pressures Australians are facing on their ability to be creative. According to the Office of the Arts, cultural and creative activities contributed $122.3 billion to our national economy in 2019-2020.2
44 per cent of Australians who have a hobby admitted they find it hard to balance creative hobbies with other responsibilities in their life, women disproportionately (46 per cent) find it harder to balance creative hobbies with other responsibilities, with males at 43 per cent.
Over half of Australians said they found it hard to find free time available. The cost of living is also having an impact on creativity levels, with more than one in three admitting that they have found it hard to be creative due to the lack of funds available.
Moreover, almost half of Australians surveyed believe that we’re at risk of losing the art of creativity due to AI/automation, with more than one in three agreeing that technology has removed the true ‘craft’ present with traditional creative practices.
Alongside benefitting the economy there is good reason to be creative; the results show that more than two thirds of Australians believe creativity helps them with problem solving. A further 58 per cent say exercising creativity and creative hobbies helps boost their mood, reduces stress , and almost half say their creative hobby has positively helped them in other aspects of their life including clarity and mental focus.
Dr Gina Cleo, Habit Change Expert, shared her advice:
“When’s the last time you did something for the first time? Most of the time, what we do is routine. We usually eat the same breakfast, drive to work the same way, listen to the same radio station or genre of music, and sit in the same spot to eat dinner; most of our life is spent on autopilot. Research shows that doing something different and breaking out of the mundane routine of life, can boost our sense of wellbeing, increase our problem-solving skills, as well as our innovation and creativity. It doesn’t have to be a drastic change, think small – try listening to a new podcast or radio station, try finger painting with the kids, or cook up a new cuisine.”
When asked what their creative hobby was, almost half of Australians admitted they get creative in the kitchen through cooking, 45 per cent like getting dirty in the garden, almost one in four dabble in painting or drawing, and one in five pick up the camera and engage in photography or videography as their creative hobby.
For many Australians, creativity isn’t something they do alone, almost half believe that collaborating with others enhances their own creativity. Creative hobbies are often an outlet harnessed to create connection, with the research showing that we also use hobbies to meet and impress others. Nearly one in three Australians say they are creative because it allows them to come across as being a more interesting person amongst their friends and peers, in fact almost 1 in 10 took up a creative hobby as they wanted to do something with their friends and family.
Marcus Marchant, CEO of VistaPrint Australia, commented:
“Even though we’ve faced some tough times as a society lately, it’s encouraging to see how much we value creativity in our lives. Personally, I love painting with my kids on weekends, and often turn to cooking and gardening as a way of destressing from the work week. Here at VistaPrint, we’re all about celebrating creativity and giving Australians a platform to bring their creations to life.”
1. https://www.nsw.gov.au/media-releases/states-first-arts-and-creative-industry-policy-will-be-artist-led-to-grow-sector
2. https://www.arts.gov.au/news/cultural-and-creative-activity-boosts-economy#:~:text=The%20analysis%20shows%20cultural%20and,our%20national%20economy%20and%20identity
