What stress does to the brain and how creativity helps.

About this event

What happens in your brain during periods of pressure, along with practical ways to interrupt unhelpful stress patterns

As AI and automation continue to grow, human creativity is becoming an increasingly valuable skill. People have connected through creative expression for thousands of years, and there is a neurological reason for that. Creativity is not simply a hobby or talent, it is closely linked to how the brain and nervous system function. In this session from The Creativity Mindset, we will explore how the brain and body respond under stress and why creative activity can offer a powerful pause that helps reset our thinking and nervous systems. Participants will leave with a clearer understanding of what happens in your brain during periods of pressure, along with practical ways to interrupt unhelpful stress patterns and create more moments of calm. These small shifts support clearer thinking, steadier emotional regulation and, ultimately, stronger performance at work and at home.

This is not a quick fix or a promise of instant transformation, it is an introduction to how consistent, simple creative practices can have a meaningful cumulative effect over time. Importantly, this is not about artistic talent or spending hours drawing or painting. It draws on the field of neuroaesthetics, which brings together neuroscience and the arts, to show how even brief creative moments can influence wellbeing. The session presents neuroscience in an accessible way and explains why a creative reset can be both practical and effective in everyday life.

Speakers Bio:

Sarah Armstrong is the founder of The Creativity Mindset, where she combines over 15 years of senior leadership and strategic experience with a Master’s in Psychology and Neuroscience of Mental Health to help people and teams reduce stress, reset unhelpful thinking patterns and build long-term resilience. Sarah's career has consistently centred on understanding people, how they learn, what motivates them and how they perform under pressure. Sarah has held senior leadership roles in diverse and geographically separate teams, including leading international student growth at Coventry University. Experiencing first-hand the cognitive load and sustained pressure faced by modern teams led Sarah to re-train in neuroscience and mental health, and she now specialises in bringing creative, evidence-based practices into workplaces in a way that is practical, accessible and grounded in research. As a Drawing and Talking Practitioner and member of the Applied Neuroscience Association, Sarah brings both scientific understanding and a human, relatable approach to every session, helping even those who do not see themselves as creative to find simple, realistic ways to support their wellbeing and performance.

Please note:

1. Webinar joining instructions will be sent to you again 1 day before the event, with a further reminder, 30 minutes prior to the event starting.

2. The session may be recorded and shared with people afterwards. Please bear this in mind and have your camera off if you do not wish for your image to be shared.

3. The chat function will be used for participants to engage with the webinar, so just be mindful of the login name you use and ensure you are happy for other people to see this.

4. For security reasons, it is requested that participants join the live session 10 minutes prior to the scheduled start time and with the same name as registered on Eventbrite as not doing so may cause a delay or non-admittance to the event.

5. This event may include an external speaker who has prepared their own presentation. Any views or opinions expressed by the speaker are their own and do not reflect those of the CIPD.

6. If you require any reasonable adjustments to enhance your experience, please get in contact with us by responding to this email and we will do our best to accommodate.