New research from international health insurer Bupa found that nearly half of adults surveyed across three countries spend no time on creative activities, even as a large majority acknowledged that such activities carry measurable benefits for physical and mental health.
The disconnect between knowledge and behaviour is one of the more striking findings from the survey, conducted by Opinium between April 13 and 20, 2026. While 85% of respondents acknowledged that drawing, doodling, painting, and crafts can positively affect their health and wellbeing, nearly half – 47% – said they devoted no time to such activities at all. The online poll covered adults aged 18 and above in the UK, Spain, and Australia, with quotas set to ensure national representativeness by age, gender, and region in each country.
Among respondents who acknowledged skipping creative activities, 55% could not recall the last time they had engaged in any. Of those who could remember, 35% said it had been more than a year. When asked why, respondents pointed to tiredness after work (28%), absence of inspiration (26%), and not having enough time (24%). The data also showed that most people connected creativity to tangible mental health outcomes. Some 83% of respondents said creative engagement reduced stress and anxiety, 76% said it helped them process emotions, and 58% reported feeling calm when taking part in activities such as art. Additionally, 71% said they believed they would benefit from having more opportunities for creative expression in their daily lives.
The survey findings align with a body of scientific literature on the health effects of creative activity. Studies have indicated that 30 to 45 minutes of art-making, at any skill level, correlates with reductions in cortisol – a hormone the body produces in response to stress – as well as lower self-reported anxiety. Separate research has pointed to art’s role in supporting mental wellbeing and helping people work through difficult life experiences.
Katherine Templar Lewis, a cognitive and human scientist and co-founder of Kinda Studios, said: “Scientific research shows that creative activity isn’t just enjoyable – it can have measurable effects on the body and mind. Even short periods, 30-45 minutes of creativity, regardless of skill level, have been shown to reduce stress, including lowering cortisol, and support emotional regulation. Activities such as drawing and painting can also engage brain systems involved in self-reflection and emotional processing, helping people make sense of complex feelings and life experiences.” Kinda Studios describes itself as the first women-led neuroaesthetics studio applying neuroscience research to creative projects, with a focus on wellbeing and human connection.
Among the contributors to Bupa’s Express Your Health campaign is Sophia Hotung, a Hong Kong-based digital artist whose submitted work centres on her experience with autoimmune illness. Following relapses that left her bedridden, Hotung said she taught herself digital art as a way of coping with the physical and emotional constraints of her condition. She said: “For me, art is a way to express and understand my life experiences, which include moments of disability, limitation, and illness. After autoimmune relapses left me bedbound, I taught myself digital art, transforming what was isolation and hopelessness into a creative practice on my own terms. Digital art enables and empowers me to create, even when my body is limited. Entering that flow state of creation allows me both to escape and ground myself through stretches of joy and difficulty. I love that this campaign facilitates authentic creative expression about and through illness, and I’m proud to work with Bupa to show others the powerful and positive impact of art on wellness.”
Hotung is one of more than 20 artists and storytellers whose work appears in a hand-painted mural on London’s Southbank, produced in collaboration with Global Street Art. Other contributors include Olympic diver Tom Daley, Paralympian Richard Whitehead, and Australian Football League player Cody Weightman. Health conditions depicted across the mural include fertility challenges, sickle cell disease, diabetes, anxiety, ageing, and grief.
Fiona Bosman, group brand director at Bupa, said: “This work highlights something we see globally: when people are given the space to share their health experiences, it can be transformative. Through this campaign, we’re encouraging people to express themselves creatively, because when words are hard to find, creativity can help us process, communicate, and connect, and ultimately take greater control of our health.” The campaign reflects a broader industry trend in which health insurers are directing attention toward behavioural and lifestyle factors as part of their overall health propositions. Bupa, which operates without shareholders and reinvests profits into healthcare services, covers 68 million customers across markets including Hong Kong SAR, Australia, the UK, Spain, and several others.
Bupa is accepting creative submissions from the public – including Hong Kong residents – through its campaign site at bupa.com/express, where contributions become part of an ongoing global collection. The platform includes prompts and guidance for those who want to begin a creative activity but are unsure where to start, with suggestions centred on a 30-minute session. Separately, Bupa has partnered with D&AD – a global non-profit organisation focused on design and commercial creativity – to develop a brief for its New Blood Awards, a program that connects students and early-career creatives with real-world brand challenges.
