Press release -
With pen and paper: How creative routines strengthen the psyche
Home office, video conferences, online tutorials: our working world is increasingly digitally dominated. Not only in times of crisis, but also in normal, demanding everyday life, analogue, creative activities provide mental balance.
Stein - Small gesture, big symbolic effect: One of the many current home office tips is that you should not simply close your laptop after you have finished working, but first shut it down completely. This is the only way to give the system a chance to sort itself out and start fresh again the next morning. What applies to computers applies even more to people: in times of massive digital stress on the one hand and painfully reduced opportunities for regeneration during lockdown on the other, we too must find opportunities to recharge in order to maintain our inner balance despite isolation and monotony.
Zoom is booming - but so are puzzles, brushes and paper
And a quick gesture is not enough. On the contrary: the more virtual everyday life becomes, the greater the importance of real, physical activities seems to be, which can also take a little more time. This is suggested by figures from the last turbulent pandemic months. The video conferencing service Zoom, for example, reported an 88% increase in sales compared to the previous year 1. At the same time, providers from the analogue world also reported record-breaking results: game publishers increased their sales by a fifth, sales of puzzles increased by 32% worldwide 2, and in an evaluation of internet search queries, terms such as crossword puzzles, drawings and origami landed at the top of the rankings 3. All activities involving pens, brushes and paper have already achieved classic status - Faber-Castell registered an increase of over 300% in downloads of colouring templates and drawing instructions.
Being creative means being active
Whether cooking or colouring: What does handwork - in the literal sense of the word - give us? Is it a distraction, a relief for the stressed brain? Certainly, as anyone who has ever experienced flow while colouring in a mandala knows, that state of suspension in which thoughts flow. But it is more. Manual activities can strengthen us mentally in the long term - especially in situations where even the greatest mental effort cannot solve all the questions.
"The need for control and self-determination is a basic human need," says German graduate psychologist Stefanie Gütlein from Breisach am Rhein. "For many, the loss of control felt due to the limitations of the Corona crisis is deeply frightening. Our personal options for exerting influence - such as avoiding contact and keeping our distance - are, after all, rather passive. It is all the more helpful to do something that can be brought about ourselves, because through creative work we come back into action." The feeling of being able to (co-)shape situations is generally considered the key to more serenity - in turbulent phases of a pandemic as well as in a less fearful, but often also very challenging everyday life. A new normality, which is now so often spoken of expectantly, should therefore ideally offer enough space for the psychologically so important creative work.
A must on the timetable: creative me-time
Self-efficacy, as the magic word in technical jargon is called, versus heteronomy: In order to be able to regularly experience oneself as an active personality, creative "me-time islands" must be consistently planned and implemented. Many people have noticed in recent months that this is not additional deadline stress - when they experienced the lockdown situation as deceleration despite all limitations and enjoyed pursuing old or new hobbies in peace. Whether it's the relaxing colouring in of an adult colouring book, a varied sketchnotes-style diary or concentration-boosting one line drawing: Since the first lockdown in spring 2020, many home office workers have firmly established such rituals in their daily routine because they no longer want to do without their positive effects.
Better relaxed than perfect
Such self-creations by no means have to be breathtaking works of art - they can also be a painted template. For the even, repetitive colouring of surfaces has just as relaxing an effect as the release from the pressure of having to create extraordinary works. To look at oneself and what one has created sympathetically: Therein lies the art now. "We should say goodbye to the demand to function as efficiently or perfectly as possible in these challenging times," says Stefanie Gütlein - a credo that ideally shapes not only our view of the hobby, but of our entire everyday life.
In order to make the commute even more structured in the future and to give more space to the so important recovery phases, the software developers have also become creative: The Teams conference platform will soon present the "virtual commute" function, which can be used to cover a fictitious work route. Another way to leave the home office behind, at least in perception - and arrive back at oneself. In the real world.
Painting, writing, drawing: 10 tips for more creativity in everyday life
1. "Change of scenery": The background in front of which you present yourself at online meetings can be changed digitally - or by hand: e.g. with a self-painted picture on the wall behind you.
2. Colouring books or mandalas have a particularly relaxing effect - because you are not under pressure to create a perfect work of art, but can devote yourself entirely to the interplay of colours.
3. Weekly schedule for the family: Who has which appointments and when? Which shared offline oases are there? Different colours, letterings and funny symbols provide a quick overview.
4. Whether you order your groceries online or shop for yourself: It's more fun with a sketchnote-style shopping list.
5. Success journals are recommended by job coaches to strengthen self-confidence. This works just as well in the home office: write down what worked well, what feedback you were pleased about.
6. Do not drop your pen: one line drawings are pictures created from only one continuous line. A great exercise for hand-eye coordination and powers of observation.
7. Long calls? Doodling keeps your hands and eyes busy without being too distracting. This way you are "all ears" via headset - and create cheerful images along the way.
8. Journey of thought: Planning holidays is difficult right now. Remembering holidays is always possible: a "recounted" travel diary with lots of sketches brings the beautiful experiences close again.
9. Do you like solving Sudoku? Why not design the number puzzles yourself - one for each family member.
10. Greetings on paper: Recipients are sure to be especially happy about a postcard with a few personal lines. And the walk to the letterbox provides extra fresh air.
( 1 Source: statista; 2 Source: Buchreport.de, 3 Source: Picodi)
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Faber-Castell is one of the world’s leading companies for high-quality products for writing, drawing and creative design as well as decorative cosmetic products. With more than two billion pencils and colour pencils per year and around 6,500 employees, Faber-Castell is the world’s leading manufacturer of wood-cased pencils. Nowadays the company is represented in over 120 countries and has its own production sites in 10 countries as well as sales companies in 23 countries. Founded in 1761, Faber-Castell is one of the oldest industrial companies in the world and has been owned by the same family for nine generations. The company owes its leading position on the international market to its traditional commitment to the very highest quality and the large number of product innovations.
