Everyone has a story to tell. It may be an event from your life or something entirely fictional, but we all have stories within us. In fact, storytelling is a fundamental part of what makes us human. It is a means of contextualising our understanding of the world and relating to others. In many cases, it can also help us confront our own emotions. Furthermore, creative writing has many cognitive benefits.
What are Cognitive Benefits?
In short, a cognitive benefit improves brain function or mental health. It could be that you become a more efficient problem solver or simply relieve some stress. Engaging in activities that promote cognitive benefits can help to prevent mental health conditions such as depression, whilst also reducing the likelihood of developing dementia.
Creative writing’s cognitive benefits are plentiful. This is because writing, especially in an imaginative sense, forces you to use your brain in a different – yet still familiar – way. You have to look at things differently and put careful consideration into your choice of words. Plus, the satisfaction of finishing a piece of writing releases dopamine, which improves mood as well as motor and brain functions.
What Counts as Creative Writing?
The definition of creative writing varies depending on who you ask. In its simplest form, though, creative writing is any piece of writing that tells a story. Often, this story will convey a message or seek to elicit an emotion. However, this is not always the case.
Creative writing includes:
- Novels
- Short stories
- Poetry
- Plays
- Songs
- Speeches
- Memoirs
This list is not exhaustive.
What are Creative Writing’s Cognitive Benefits?
As we have mentioned, creative writing can improve brain function and improve mental health. But how? Consider this list of how creative writing provides cognitive benefits.
Organising Thoughts
Many of us, at one time or another, will have found ourselves fighting a whirlwind of thoughts. As soon as one thing enters our minds, something else sweeps in to take its place. This can result in a loss of focus and no small amount of frustration. Sometimes, as these thoughts race through our heads, we can end up lingering on unpleasant memories.
However, creative writing allows you to channel these thoughts into one place. It gets them out of your head and helps you to process them better. This type of writing is often known as “stream of consciousness”; you simply put pen to paper and let your thoughts flow out. It doesn’t have to form a coherent structure, but you may be surprised where the process leads you.
One of the main advantages of this is that it relieves stress. Whatever was stuck in your head has now been made tangible. You can view it as words to throw away and forget about or the beginnings of a new project. By working through your chaotic thoughts, you can identify methods of controlling them and avoiding negative mindsets.
Addressing Strong Emotions
Everyone gets emotional sometimes. It’s a natural part of being human. We feel things, and some things we feel more than others. However, there are many people who attempt to push those emotions deep down inside. This, science has proven, can have negative impacts on your health.
In fact, ignoring your emotions can lead to poor sleep, high stress, and lower immune function. It can also lead to the development of stomach ulcers, heart disease, and anger issues. Whilst it is advised to talk about your difficult emotions with others, sometimes this can feel difficult. Fortunately, writing can help you express them.
Creative writing can help you turn your feelings into a story. This helps you process your emotions and work through them. You can also use your writing as a means of expressing your emotions to others. If you turn your feelings into a story, your loved ones may better understand what you are experiencing.
Self-Awareness
When we write, we are often exposing parts of ourselves we weren’t even aware of. Our vulnerabilities escape onto the page, and it’s not until we reread our work that we realise. However, increased awareness of our own struggles, thoughts, and ideas is key to improving our understanding of our place in the world.
This self-awareness also plays into feelings of anxiety and depression. Often, we can struggle to pinpoint exactly what it is that is making us feel a certain way. When we write, however, our subconscious can tell us what has been bothering us.
Therefore, by writing and then reading what we have written, we can find solutions to the things that bother us.
Improve Your Attention Span
There is a popular study that claims adults now have an attention span of roughly 8 seconds. What this effectively means is that you should have tuned out of this article by now. Whilst the veracity of this study has been called into question, it is true that many people have shorter attention spans today than they did in the past.
So how can creative writing help with this? When you write, you are forcing your brain to focus on one task. However, you are not only doing one thing. Many people don’t realise it, but writing requires multitasking. You must write, think, and often read all at once.
Doing so channels your focus. You choose what goes on the page, but the need to keep your handwriting neat as well as to finish your thought keeps you going. And when one sentence is complete, another springs to mind and demands to be written. Furthermore, the more you write the stronger your focus will become.
Improve Memory
Older adults can often find themselves worrying about their memory. Creative writing provides the cognitive benefits of improved memory. As we have touched on before, when we write we are processing our thoughts in a more organised manner. This can help to contextualise them in our minds and make them easier to manage.
Moreover, the written word can be more reliable than our minds alone. Even a brief note on a scrap of paper can trigger a memory of an errand we have yet to do. When we write a story, we are forming a sequence of events in our minds that connect to one another. Forming these connections helps to strengthen our cognitive processes.
There is also evidence to suggest that handwriting, in particular, can create specific connections in our brains. The texture of paper, the weight of the pen, and even the smell of the ink can help improve our recall abilities. This is because sensory input plays a large role in forming memories.
Expand Knowledge
You may have heard it said that authors write what they know. What often isn’t mentioned is that authors are constantly expanding what they know to tell stories. Most writers are open-minded people with a deep understanding of many topics and points of view. This is because they take the time to learn new things, hear different perspectives, and expand on what they already know.
One of creative writing’s cognitive benefits is the opportunity it provides to learn new things. The great thing is that you never know exactly what you’re going to find out. You might be writing a short story about someone who goes fishing and need to know how a fishing rod works. Alternatively, you might write about a walk in the woods and need to find out about the distinguishing features of different trees.
There is no end to the things you might discover. Many writers can attest to the “rabbit hole” effect, where one quick question leads you to read about more and more things. The simplest fragment of missing information can become the perfect opportunity to expand your knowledge.
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Editor’s Note: This article was updated on 23rd February 2024 to reflect current information.
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