Jacqueline Hutson is a painter, muralist, and educator originally from the U.K., currently based in Portugal. Her new project, Innate Create Co., launching soon, aims to instill a return to creativity — to access the skills you already have to uncover the inner creative.
Busy Mind? Go walk it out
Let's grab a pencil & scrap paper too...
Make a mark...
Any mark...
Some days the noise in your head won’t quiet down no matter how hard you try to think your way out of it.
The to-do list that keeps rewriting itself.
The conversation you’re still replaying from yesterday.
The low hum of “am I doing enough” that never quite switches off.
It’s not a crisis — it’s just the weight of an ordinary day, and it adds up.
So don't think your way out.
Move your way out.
Take a walk.
Let your eyes wander instead of your mind.
Notice the shape of a leaf, the way light falls across a wall,
The rhythm of your own footsteps.
Exercise & Mental Health
• It reliably reduces cortisol and rumination — the repetitive negative thinking loop common in anxiety and depression.
• Regular movement improves sleep quality, which has knock-on effects for emotional regulation.
• Group or outdoor exercise adds social connection and nature exposure, both independently
Creativity & Mental Health
• Creative activities (painting, writing, music) can act as a form of “flow” — the state of deep absorption where self-criticism quiets down and time distorts. Flow states are linked to lower anxiety and higher life satisfaction.
• Creative expression gives an outlet for processing emotion nonverbally — useful when feelings are hard to articulate directly (this is the basis of art therapy).
• The act of making something, regardless of skill level, builds a sense of agency and competence — countering the helplessness that often accompanies depression & stress.
• Research on “everyday creativity” shows that small creative acts during the day predict higher positive affect and flourishing the next day — the mood boost seems to compound.
Where They Overlap
Both are process-focused rather than outcome-focused.
The benefit comes from being absorbed in the doing, not the result.
Both also give a sense of mastery and self-efficacy over time, and both interrupt rumination by occupying working memory with something immediate and physical/sensory.
So then find a quiet five minutes, sit down and put pen to paper —
Not to make something, just to follow & see what you notice.
A line. A scribble. The outline of a leaf.
This isn’t about drawing “well.”
It’s about giving your hands something to do while your mind & nervous system settle.
You don’t need to be an artist for this to work. You just need to be willing to notice.
Reclaim your peace
Make a mark
Self care
That’s enough for today
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