10 Years of Creative Express: Creativity, connection and a decade of young people’s voices

Creative Express is turning 10

Part of The Junction – Young People, Health and Wellbeing, the service has spent the past decade supporting young people in North East Edinburgh to explore creativity as a way to look after their wellbeing. Through free one-to-one support, groupwork and community outreach, it’s helped young people aged 12–21 build confidence, express themselves, develop coping strategies and find what works for them.

At the centre of it all is April-Wendy, the service’s lead worker, who’s been there since day one. She first developed the idea alongside young people from The Junction’s Youth Advisors – and has helped shape it into what it is today.

In this piece, April-Wendy looks back on 10 years of Creative Express, sharing what’s changed, what’s stayed the same, and why creativity still matters.

What we do

Creative Express focuses on the use of creativity to improve health and wellbeing, through weekly one-to-one support, community outreach and groupwork; encouraging the incorporation of creative activities into young people’s weekly wellbeing routines.

Later this year it will celebrate its 10th birthday with creative work from local young people past and present.

“Almost ten years and its sped past and whilst it has grown, evolved and become an established core service at The Junction – at its heart it is still the core of that original proposal.

We still recognise the value of the way Creative Express provides emotionally safe spaces where young people can explore and express their thoughts, feelings and ideas in relation to their own and others health and wellbeing.

And I love that we do this through the use of so many different mediums things like poetry, painting, collage, clay work, storytelling, crafting and creative writing; and it remains vital that the themes for these explorations continue to be negotiated with each young people, making everyone’s support unique to them.”

More information about the service can be found at: www.the-junction.org/creative-express

The difference we’re making

Last year saw the service make 995 engagements with young people. Research demonstrates the positive impact engaging in creative activities can have on health and wellbeing – from reducing stress and anxiety, to promoting emotional expression and improving mood.

It can support the development of cognitive flexibility, enhance focus and problem-solving skills, give opportunities for social interaction and building relationships, it can also provide a sense of purpose, become a source of self-care and a route to developing improved self-esteem.

As part of The Junctions nested provision Creative Express can also be a step into its other services such as counselling, substance use support, sexual health information and Junction drop-ins/walk-ins.

The difference the service is making is apparent in the feedback from young people who use the, when they highlight how impactful they have found their experience.

What our participants say

• “I had a fun experience with my Worker, even when we talked about hard things, she helped me to have less anxiety and to find ways to feel better.”
• “I came to Creative Express one-to-ones because I was getting upset at night and didn’t get much sleep, but now I’m not upset anymore and because I have more sleep I’m less anxious and stressed; plus now I have cool art.”
• “I found it really nice since I got to talk to some people and I found it a good way to socialise and gain confidence.”
• “Creative Hours (a monthly Creative Express group) is a really calming and chill environment with no judgement or expectations. I feel I expressed myself and have created something I was proud of. I left feeling good, calm and relaxed.”
• “Creative Hours gives me relaxation while being around people, even though I find being with people I don’t know hard – and I’m doing something I enjoy.”
• “What I got out of it is learning a bit more about myself on a deeper level, by writing about things I wouldn’t have thought of.”
• “I feel more like I matter, and I know that I matter to my worker and The Junction, and that people do care about me and my situation and about my opinions.”
• “By going to the weekly Creative Express “Write To Express” sessions I learned how to express myself and how to explore my emotions through writing.”
• “I couldn’t have imagined when I started coming here to these Creative Express sessions, that by the end of them I would have joined a volunteering group and be going to things/doing things with people I didn’t know.” 
• “The one-to-one sessions are helpful. I do more art now. I liked us drawing and making things together and being able to talk about things that matter to me and knowing the worker would really listen.”

How I look after my mental health

I’m lucky – constantly making and creating alongside young people at The Junction inspires me to do more of this in my own time and to experience that positive impact firsthand. My go-to in terms of processing difficult emotions is usually writing poetry to help make sense of how I’m feeling, and in terms of de-stressing it’s having fun regularly with The Ginger Wolves, an Edinburgh based writers/performance troupe, where I get to be playful, energised and able to develop my own creative work.