In a groundbreaking new study published recently in The Journal of Positive Psychology, researchers have unveiled a nuanced and somewhat paradoxical relationship between creativity and emotional well-being among professional creatives. Entitled “Creative flourishing: unpacking the creativity-well-being connection in creative practitioners and comparison participants,” the research challenges the widely held assumption that creativity invariably boosts happiness by revealing a complex temporal dynamic: while engaging in creative work enhances well-being on the day itself, it may paradoxically precipitate increased negative emotions on the following day for those who pursue creativity professionally. This phenomenon, described by the authors as a “creative hangover,” offers critical insights into the mental health of creative professionals and calls for more tailored approaches to supporting their emotional resilience.
The research team, led by doctoral candidate Kaile Smith from the CUNY Graduate Center with senior oversight by psychology professor Jennifer Drake, embarked on a rigorous empirical investigation involving 355 adults. Of these participants, 202 identified as creative practitioners—individuals for whom creativity constitutes a central component of their livelihood—while the remaining 153 served as a comparison group with less intensive creative engagement. Over the course of the study, the researchers collected rich longitudinal data through baseline assessments supplemented by 13 consecutive daily surveys. These surveys meticulously tracked participants’ creative activity levels alongside a multidimensional measure of well-being rooted in the PERMA model, capturing Positive Emotions, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishment.
The findings from this comprehensive data set offer a revelatory look at the dual-edged nature of creativity’s impact on psychological states. On days characterized by heightened creative activity, both creative practitioners and casual creators reported significant boosts across multiple domains of well-being, affirming creativity’s immediate emotional benefits. Positive emotions surged, individuals felt deeply absorbed in their endeavors, and meaningful connections with others were reinforced. These outcomes echo longstanding conceptualizations of creativity as a potent source of fulfillment and life satisfaction. However, the study’s longitudinal scope allowed the researchers to detect an unexpected temporal shift: unlike casual creators, who sustained positive emotional spillover into the following day, professional creatives exhibited an increase in negative emotions one day after elevated creative engagement.
This “creative hangover” effect appears to reflect the intricate pressures and emotional rhythms unique to professional creative work. According to Smith, creativity for those who rely on it professionally is embedded within a context of intense demands—not only to produce original work but also to critically evaluate and often publicly present one’s creations. Such ongoing evaluative stress may engender emotional exhaustion or vulnerability that manifests as a mood dip the day after peak creative output. This temporal delay in emotional repercussion contrasts with typical assumptions that creativity’s benefits are consistently positive and enduring, suggesting instead a dynamic, oscillating mental health trajectory that warrants new understanding.
Drake emphasizes that these nuanced findings upend simplistic narratives, such as the romanticized “tortured artist” trope, by distinguishing between the immediate gratification derived from creative acts and the subsequent emotional costs that may ensue. The study’s data affirm that creativity reliably enriches well-being in the present moment for all participants, yet signal critical divergence when the subsequent day is considered—highlighting the necessity for mental health interventions tailored specifically to the creative professions. Sustained creative productivity, integral to many artists’ and practitioners’ livelihoods, may require novel strategies to mitigate the emotional toll evidenced by these “hangover” effects.
Interestingly, the study also reports a unique pattern among casual creators: in contrast to professionals, experiencing lower well-being predicted increased creativity the next day. This finding suggests a form of emotional resilience or motivational mechanism whereby less intensive creative engagement is potentiated by emotional fluctuations. This relationship was absent among professional creatives, indicating that the interplay between mood and creativity is modulated by professional context and possibly by the external pressures associated with sustaining a living through creative labor.
Technically, the study employs the PERMA framework developed by renowned psychologist Martin Seligman as a robust metric for parsing the multidimensional character of flourishing. By moving beyond monolithic indices of happiness or subjective well-being, this model allows for more granular analysis of how different facets of psychological health respond to creative activity. This approach provides a more textured understanding of the creativity-well-being nexus, underscoring that creativity’s impact is multifaceted, dynamic, and context-sensitive rather than universally beneficial.
Furthermore, the careful daily-diary methodology employed in this research represents a significant advancement in studying the temporal characteristics of psychological phenomena. By capturing within-person fluctuations over consecutive days, the study avoids the limitations of cross-sectional or purely retrospective designs that cannot elucidate causality or lagged effects. The meticulous content analysis strategy ensures that reported emotions and creative engagement are measured with precision, enabling the research to identify subtle yet meaningful patterns over time.
The implications of these findings for the fields of clinical psychology and creative arts interventions are profound. Mental health practitioners working with creative professionals must contend with the complex oscillations of well-being revealed here and consider how best to support clients in managing the downstream emotional consequences of intense creative work. Moreover, institutions and organizations that employ creative talent might develop wellness programs that anticipate and address these “creative hangovers,” helping to sustain productivity and psychological health simultaneously.
Importantly, this research paves the way for future inquiry into the mechanisms underlying these temporal effects. Questions remain about the physiological, cognitive, and social processes that contribute to the post-creative mood dip observed among professionals. For instance, do neurobiological stress responses, sleep disturbances, or social evaluative concerns exacerbate next-day negative affect? Further experimental and longitudinal studies utilizing biomarkers or ecological momentary assessment could illuminate these pathways, fostering more effective interventions.
In conclusion, this pioneering study offers a sophisticated and empirically grounded reconceptualization of the creativity-well-being relationship. By demonstrating that professional creative engagement entails a distinctive emotional rhythm—including an immediate uplift followed by a next-day decline—the research challenges prevailing assumptions and opens new avenues for supporting creative practitioners. These insights invite a reevaluation of how society values creative labor, emphasizing the importance of mental health resources tailored to the unique demands faced by those who turn creative passion into profession.
Subject of Research: People
Article Title: Creative flourishing: unpacking the creativity-well-being connection in creative practitioners and comparison participants
News Publication Date: 19-Feb-2026
Web References: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2026.2630844
References: Smith, K., & Drake, J. (2026). Creative flourishing: unpacking the creativity-well-being connection in creative practitioners and comparison participants. The Journal of Positive Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2026.2630844
Keywords: Mental health, Psychological stress, Creative flourishing, Professional creativity, Emotional well-being, PERMA model, Daily diary study, Creative hangover, Well-being dynamics, Clinical psychology, Creative arts interventions
