Poet Caroline Bird reflects that some of us have neglected our creative sides since childhood, because other things now seem more ‘important’.

“Sometimes when we get older the ‘real world’ gets its claws into us,” Bird tells Refinery29. “We start using words like ‘outlet’ instead of ‘right’. Because I think it is a right. Everyone needs to express who they are, and the ways are countless: some people express themselves through movement and muscle, some people knit words together, some people are captivating in the pub… but the important thing, I think, is to know you have the right to be heard and that you have something to share.”

Creative activities that force us to close our laptops and put down our phones can also induce a meditative, zen-like state of mind. For example, an online study that surveyed over 3,500 knitters, published in the British Journal of Occupational Therapy, found a relationship between knitting frequency and feeling calm. Respondents noted that knitting was “soothing,” “restful,” and helped them unwind from the pressures of work. In the same study, researchers also found that knitting led to an increase in happiness among almost all participants.

Why a creative side project could benefit your health - and your career