This Learning Disability Week - from 14 to 20 June 2021 - we're celebrating art and creativity as a positive way for people with learning disabilities to overcome the challenges of the past year.

For SeeAbility’s first Influencer Emily, being creative is an important part of her life, giving her the ability to express her mood and the freedom to show her identity to others.

To Emily, living a happy and fulfilled life comes from her being able to create and she loves to use her spare time to make greetings cards. She explains why she likes to make them:

I like creating my own cards. It’s nice to think I can give them to people. I like it because there’s no right or wrong way. I started making greetings cards just before lockdown. I had a friend at church and we went to an art group on Saturday called Splash. Because I couldn’t see things to draw a flower, she came up with the idea of greeting cards.

Emily adds that making the cards are not only a hobby but the creative task carries fond memories for her:

I was always creative at school and my nan did a lot of art stuff with me. I do them and think of her at the same time.

Creative activities are important for people with learning disabilities, as they can provide a good outlet for relieving stress as well as creating new opportunities for social interaction. In addition to this, creative activities often offer a sensory experience, giving people freedom of interpretation and expression. Emily explains this further by saying:

It helps me express my mood. The brighter the colours the happier the mood, the darker the colours maybe not.

But being creative isn’t just important to those with disabilities, it’s important to all of us. Whether it’s something simple like cooking or completing a puzzle, being creative helps us to live well. Increasing the amount of creative activities in your life can unlock a new feeling of satisfaction and increase your sense of wellbeing. If you’re struggling to get started Emily offers some advice:

Go with how you feel, you can’t get it right or wrong. There’s no right or wrong way to do it.

How are you being creative? Join the Big Conversation on Twitter and Facebook from July 1 and share your stories of creativity with us! Make sure you use our hashtag #SABigConversation