Research shows that creative endeavors reinforce identity, which is crucial for those who care for others.

Self-expression is a way to care for the self, and to hold onto oneself while caring for others.

Creative pursuits, even a few minutes per day, can be both grounding and uplifting.

What happens to creativity under real-world pressure?

Many will be interested in the answer, be they caregivers of aging parents or children who are ill (or not), partner caregivers, sandwiched caregivers, paid and unpaid caregivers, and individuals who struggle to be good stewards of their own needs.

The answer? Creativity doesn’t vanish, though it is often disrupted. Caregiving in general is disruptive to creative endeavors, because it constantly interrupts moments of reflection.

"Write every day" was the edict I learned early in my writing at a time I was working in a clinical capacity as well. I understood this to mean that I should expect ideas to bubble up and it was my job to shepherd them into reality—to caretake them, so to speak. But under........

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