125: How to Support your Mental Health with Creativity
with Dr Pragya Agarwal
Art is not what you see, but what you make others see
[Edgar Degas]

Dr Pragya Argawal is an academic, designer, writer, business owner, and the busy mum of three girls. Born and raised in India, she moved to the UK as a young single mum to complete her Master’s Degree and PhD. Pragya is no-doubt a very accomplished woman, but things haven’t always been easy for her.
During her academic career, she suffered from stress and burnout, and more recently, after the premature birth of her twins, fought anxiety and depression. Severely sleep-deprived and under pressure with not one but two babies suffering from colic and reflux, Pragya fell back on to her safety net. Creativity.
During a break from her career, Pragya had turned her hobby of print-making into a business by setting up her own art studio Hedge and Hog Prints. And in 2017, inspired by her twins’ multiple allergies, she founded The Art Tiffin, a vegan and eco-friendly box of art material.
A family-run and ethical business, The Art Tiffin is the first social enterprise to actively campaign for cruelty-free art materials. Pragya is passionate about helping families find the most natural, toxic-free products, and fostering creativity in children from a young age, but she also knows how important it is to raise awareness about mental health and make a positive social impact by giving back to charities.
In this episode, Pragya walks you through the research and neuroscience behind creativity, something that she believes we can all find inside of ourselves. She explains how taking only a few minutes out of your busy days to do something creative can do wonders for your mental health and wellbeing. And if you think you’re not the creative type, hold on. Because you’ll find out exactly what being creative means and what you can do to express your own creativity.
I really enjoyed this episode both as a mum and as someone who has suffered in the past from depression. I also am a leukemia Mum – my son is soon to be 24! Anyway, I delved back into creativity and it felt like greeting a lost-lost friend. After that I was hooked and now I host online art courses on my site. I was so interested and touched by this podcast, that I have linked to your site and also this interview. Thank you Lisa and Pragya.
Thank you so much Jane, I’m so happy to hear you liked it. This episode was really enlightening to me. Not only did I realise that I’m a creative person after all, but how much my creativity helps my mental health. It’s lovely to hear your work has done the same for you. Love your website and your work by the way, it’s incredible! Lisa x
Thanks so much Lisa! Jane x
Do you incorporate creativity into your busy days as a mum? If so, what do you do? Let us know in the comments! Lisa x