Art, Creativity, & The Mind
“Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.” -Thomas Merton
Since the beginning of time, art has been a hallmark of the human experience. Before any written language originated, cave paintings served to connect with others and share complex ideas. Today, art is used as a medium to express the heart and mind of the artist and allows others to experience their innermost feelings and thoughts through their work.
Art is irrevocably tied to the human psyche, meaning everyone can engage in art regardless of skill level. Its accessibility and its many practical applications make art a great way to relax your mind, learn about yourself, connect with others, and improve your mental health.
Art is beneficial in so many ways, so to celebrate and bring light to the many ways art can lead to healing we are dedicating this article of the blog to art and creativity and its link to our mind. We’ll discuss some of the various benefits of engaging in art, both recreationally and therapeutically, and discuss how therapists can use art to help connect with their patients.
Benefits of Art
Emotional Management
Engaging in artistic expression can be fun and relaxing. There’s a reason it’s such a popular pastime. When working on a painting or a crochet project, it’s easy to lose track of time and not realize you’ve worked tirelessly for hours. Your senses are heightened, and your hands feel they’re moving on their own, and ideas come seamlessly. This is called the flow state, and it’s the feeling of being completely absorbed in an activity. It’s a significant benefit that art provides and often leads to feeling energized and stimulated.
Being in a flow state can also lower cortisol levels, reduce depression and anxiety, and help folks feel more at ease. Yet, you don’t only get the anti-anxiety benefits when you reach it. Simply picking up your pen or brush can help you get a much-needed break from the mental stressors you may face. Art is a positive distraction that redirects your focus from your anxieties to something productive. You can even use it as a form of meditation.
Problem Solving and Self-Expression
Creativity and expression through art can feel like sharing your true self on the page. It gives shape to concepts that are too difficult or abstract to express with words. It allows us to tap into a creative side of ourselves and do so in a totally unique way. Where words may fall short, art gives us another medium to give a voice to our inner world.
Art also gives you a chance to flex your problem-solving skills. When you're working on a project, you may need to pivot your strategy to achieve the desired outcome. Learning to do so in an environment with low stakes can be good practice for doing so in a more pertinent setting in real life.
Body and Mind
Aside from being a great outlet, art has many benefits for personal growth and physical health. Physically, art can serve as a form of pain management, improve immune and cognitive function, and increase resilience.
Art requires a constant stream of ideas, practice, and dedication to see it through, and by allowing yourself the opportunity to develop these skills, you, in turn, become a more rounded individual. By engaging in art, you can develop a skill, improve self-expression, increase self-esteem, and improve your relationship with imperfection.
Art and Therapy
Art therapy is a sect of therapy that focuses solely on expression through art and the interpretation of the patients creations as a way to work through trauma and other difficult emotions. Patients can express themselves through a different medium, giving those who may struggle with verbalizing their feelings an easier way to get the treatment they need.
Art therapists are adept at interpreting symbolism and asking pertinent questions that can lead to a deep understanding between them and their patients. These therapists guide you through every step of the creative process and focus heavily on exploration, emotional release, and personal growth.
In a standard art therapy session, you’ll be encouraged to draw, paint, write, sculpt, and provide your practitioner with a detailed layout of your mental landscape. After doing so, you will sit down with them and discuss your art while looking for patterns and refining your understanding of why you created what you did. It can be a fascinating process that can be exceptionally cathartic and lead to profound personal insight.
Moving forward, practitioners will likely adopt new ways to help patients express themselves artistically. With new augmented reality technology, digital art mediums, and tireless research to understand the link between our minds and creativity, the future of art and therapy will continue to expand and afford us a better understanding of ourselves.
Getting Involved With Art
Now that you know the limitless benefits of engaging with art and its benefits for your body, mind, and personal growth, you may be interested in getting into art yourself. If this is the case, we have a few ideas for you to get started with:
Start a Journal: Journaling is a great way to work through emotions and situations that you’re going through. If traditional written entries don’t resonate with you, add drawings, collages, and pictures to give yourself some variety. The most important part of journaling is self-expression, so don’t hold back. Your journal should feel like a safe space where no one will judge, not even you. It can be messy, raw, and cathartic as you will allow. It also can serve as a good memento for this particular time in your life that you can look back on in the future to see how far you’ve come.
Finger Painting: This type of painting is incredibly accessible. Even if you have no brushes and don’t have formal training, all you need is a canvas and a few paints. Finger painting can be exceptionally tactile, making it a good option for those who enjoy extra sensory stimulation. Additionally, finger painting is a great way to tap into and heal your inner child. You don’t need proper training or high-quality supplies; you just need the desire to create.
Drawing and Painting: There are a ton of simple art tutorials on YouTube that you can check out for inspiration and to give yourself practice. Simply putting brush to paper has a ton of benefits and can be a great way to destress. If you want to add an extra element of mindfulness and make it therapeutic, you can use prompts about your emotions or challenges as a basis for your creation. Reflecting after completing these works can provide answers you may not have considered before, and it may even allow you to let go of negative ideas or perceptions along the way. Just remember, it’s not about perfection, it's about expression and enjoying the journey.
Music: If you play an instrument, take some time to noodle around, play a song you enjoy, or work on a new composition. Doing so can be a great way to incorporate arts healing benefits into your day. Even if you’re not trained or prefer a digital format, there’s a ton of free music software that you can use to create your masterpiece. Even listening to music and interpreting how it makes you feel can have therapeutic benefits. It also pairs well with many other kinds of artistic endeavors.
In addition to incorporating art into your routine, you should know that many of our therapists here at bareWell utilize art to help patients overcome complex issues or access new avenues of self-expression. If you want to see how art can benefit you in a therapeutic setting, contact us for a free consultation. Doing so will allow residents of San Diego and all of California to meet with one of our amazing therapists and clinicians to jump-start your mental health journey.