How Divorce Helps You Become More Creative

Are you wondering how to become more creative after divorce?

As hard as divorce is, it can offer all sorts of new opportunities for new growth and personal development. For many people, part of the growing and healing process involves developing their creativity. Here is a brief explanation of how and why this happens.

How Divorce Helps You Become More Creative

You Have More Free Time

After a divorce, you have more time on your hands. The time you used to spend on your relationship with your spouse is now open. If you have kids, you usually share custody of them with your ex-spouse, so there may be days at a time when they are not around. Eventually, you may start dating again, but most people need some time to process their grief and start building a new life before they are ready for a new relationship.

So now that you have all this free time, what do you do with it? Many people start exploring creative outlets. That may mean trying something completely new that you never did before but always wanted to try, such as making pool designs, knitting, or crafting. It could also be something that you dabbled in as a kid but gave up when you reached adulthood when your schedule no longer allowed for it. Maybe it was something that you were proficient at before you had to give it up. Maybe it was something that you never got as good at doing as you wanted and now you have another chance. Drawing, creative writing, playing a musical instrument, and dancing are all examples of creative pursuits that you may have attempted as a kid and now want to revisit again as a divorced adult.

Creative Endeavors Can Be Therapeutic

A divorce takes a toll on your health physically, mentally, and emotionally. The emotional dimension can be especially hard to cope with. You may feel that you have a lot of negative emotions bottled up inside and no constructive way to let them out. Emotional self-care during and after a divorce can be a challenge, especially if you have kids. You don’t want to blow off steam by bad-mouthing your ex-spouse in front of your children. This could cause them to develop a loyalty conflict between you and their other parent, which can be extremely damaging. If the divorce has not yet been finalized, you cannot vent about your ex on social media, because anything you post on the internet may be used against you in court. Creative outlets provide you with a way to express the emotions you are feeling in a way that is positive, constructive, and nonspecific. You let your feelings out in a way that is abstract or private so that they are no longer so overwhelming. Examples of creative outlets that help improve your emotional and mental health are journaling and coloring books for grown-ups. These are not necessarily anything that you show to other people or put on display. You perform these acts for yourself, and the act of creating is at least as important as the end product, and sometimes more so.

You Have Lots of Options

Of course, there are all sorts of ways to become more creative, and they aren’t necessarily limited to fine arts or performing arts. For example, many people find cooking and baking to be a creative outlet. Woodworking or metalworking are good examples that combine artistry with engineering.

There May Be a New Career in It

After a divorce, you not only have more time on your hands, but you probably have less money than you did before. If you become proficient at your hobby, you may be able to turn it into a new business or side hustle.

There is no such thing as a person who is not creative. Everyone is creative in one way or another. A divorce may offer you the opportunity to reach your full potential in a particular creative endeavor.