This is why you should make time to be creative everyday, according to science

Many of our New Year’s Resolutions revolve around being healthier or finding love, but what about making time for creativity? And science agrees that we should be creative everyday — so there’s even more reason to stop putting off that creative hobby of yours! Sure, there are plenty of us who make a living within creative fields — writing, drawing, or making entertainment for others — but even if we work outside of a creative field, we can still use more conscious creativity in our lives.

In a New Zealand study published in The Journal of Positive Psychology, psychologists have found that those who engaged in creative activities on a daily basis experienced what they called an "upward spiral" of positivity in various aspects of their lives.

So that means more confidence, self-awareness, and a zest for life — all of this was increased just from making time to be creative everyday.

Researchers conducted the study by asking 658 volunteers to keep a diary everyday for 13 days straight, in which they documented any creativity they exercised that day and their overall mood.

As noted by Huffington Post, “Creativity was defined as coming up with new ideas, expressing oneself in an original way or spending time engaged in artistic pursuits.”

The best part is that this is more doable than you think.

You don't need to devote long hours to get the same benefits -- simply taking 30 minutes a day, at least, can reap you the same benefits as those who participated in the study. Beyond the joy of creating something, being creative gives you a sense of purpose that can carry over to other parts of your life.

So what are you waiting for? Bring out that journal, musical instrument, or coloring book and get to creating!