Rediscover your artistic side

1. Revisit your long-lost creative dream

Have you always wanted to be a photographer, write a novel or play the piano? Indulge your creative spirit. Sign up to a photography course. Challenge yourself to write three pages a day, so you get used to putting your thoughts on paper. Or set your alarm five minutes earlier and start each day with a short burst of piano practice.

2. Use the arts to connect with others

Join a local choir, book group or cinema club. Not only will you enjoy having regular time set aside away from daily stresses, but you will meet more people in your area and unlock those social benefits.

3. Explore your local cultural scene 

Check out what’s on at your local theatre or film club, or look out for new museum exhibitions. Even if it’s not normally ‘your type of thing’, find a friend who’ll go with you and set aside one ‘cultural evening’ a month for a new experience.

4. Put your own creative skills to good use 

Do you have a talent for embroidery, dance or painting? Set up an informal group. If you’d like to start a project with a hospital, nursing home or community health centre, my new book has seven simple steps to beginning a targeted arts programme that will meet real healthcare needs. It also guides you through how to engage healthcare partners, find funding and follow important protocols when working in this field.

For more about Daisy Fancourt’s Tenovus Cancer Care Sing With Us research project, click here.

Photograph: iStock