Canva study reveals creative photography on the rise
Global online design platform Canva has released new research revealing an enduring boost in individual creativity across the United States., as Americans find new ways to find fulfillment during the pandemic. The nationally representative study of 2,000 Americans, commissioned by Canva, reveals more than half (51 percent) of Americans have picked-up a new creative past-time, or revisited an old one, since the arrival of COVID-19. This creativity remains consistent as lockdown continues, with 98 percent of those that have taken up a new hobby continuing to practice at least once per week.
Photography was ranked fourth among top creative hobbies, at 20 percent, in the Canva survey.
According to the research, the top 10 most commonly practiced creative pastimes in 2020 are:
- Experimenting with new recipes in the kitchen – 37 percent
- Gardening – 28 percent
- Painting – 20 percent
- Photography – 20 percent
- Drawing – 19 percent
- Creative writing – 18 percent
- Dance – 17 percent
- Interior Design – 17 percent
- Digital Design – 17 percent
- Non-Fiction Writing – 17 percent
Other common past-times include knitting, fashion and textiles (16 percent) music practice and performance, (15 percent) and video creation (15 percent).
Nataly Kogan, leading emotional health expert, artist, author of “Happier Now,” and refugee said, “Scientific studies show a positive link between creative expression and increased happiness. During challenging times, it’s an incredibly useful way to help us process emotions.”
“As travel and social interaction have been restricted, people are embracing creativity to seek enjoyment, grow and reflect on their experiences. But trying to make something that’s perfect can be counterproductive — the creative process itself is where the true emotional benefits lie.”
Almost three quarters (73 percent) of Americans see themselves as creative, agreeing they’re able to use skill and imagination to produce something new or to produce art. The recent creativity boom stretches far beyond artistic pursuits, with a fifth starting their own business and 28 percent creating a new “side hustle” amid COVID-19.