Creative Self-Care: Art, Music, and Writing for Well-Being

Tap into your creative side! Creative activities can improve well-being and mindfulness to counteract feelings of stress, burnout, or anxiety. Focusing on a creative task can improve mood, boost happiness, and provide a sense of peace. Finishing something you created can boost confidence, sense of accomplishment, and self-esteem.

Register online any time by March 20, 2026 at midnight. The challenge will begin 24 hours after you register. Note: avoid signing up on a Friday, as your emails will be sent on the weekends.

This 3-week online challenge is for all IU employees - and spouses of employees on an IU medical plan. Students and community members may also participate. We strongly encourage employees and their spouses to participate together! During the challenge, you'll develop small, daily habits that promote creative self-care. 

Here's what each week will focus on:

• Week 1: Art
• Week 2: Music
• Week 3: Writing

After you have completed the 3-week challenge, you’ll receive a link to an Evaluation Survey. Employees, and spouses on an IU medical plan, who complete the challenge and the Evaluation Survey are eligible to receive a creative self-care adult coloring book with colored pencils.

Incentives are available on a first-come, first-served basis, while supplies last. 

To receive an incentive, participants must: 

• Be an IU employee (or employee's spouse on an IU medical plan)
• Participate in all 3 weeks of the challenge  
• Complete the online challenge evaluation survey by April 17, 2026
• Provide an IU campus mailing address

***INCENTIVE REQUESTS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED AFTER THE APRIL 17th DEADLINE***

Join the Microsoft Teams group with other IU employees participating in Healthy IU Challenges. The group will evolve with each semester's challenge theme, offering a space to share resources, tips, support, and camaraderie.

Click this LINK to join the Healthy IU Challenges Teams Page.

Double check your spam/junk folders. Challenge emails are sent via Qualtrics. Qualtrics admins sometimes come across the situation of Qualtrics users not receiving emails. Their advice is to reach out to UITS support, who will work with you to make sure there is nothing in your email settings filtering out Qualtrics items. Participants who do not receive the challenge emails have a couple options: 

• Short-term fix: Let Healthy IU know at  healthyu@iu.edu. We will work with you to send you the challenge content in another way. 

And/or 

• Long-term solution: Contact UITS or UA Technology Support to help adjust your email settings. 
• UITS support: https://uits.iu.edu/get-help/index.html
• Contact UA Technology Support uats@iu.edu

• Check out this LinkedIn Learning Path for more exploration on how creative expression can become a powerful tool for self-care, reflection, and personal growth.
• Check out this free, online newsletter Gratitude Science and Practice on Substack, written by Dr. Joel Wong, Provost Professor of Counseling Psychology at IU Bloomington.