What Art Does For Your Mental Health

Do you like to draw? Paint? Sculpt? Create ceramics?

Almost everyone has encountered art in their lives. If you’ve never really given it much thought, then I suggest that you try it. Making art may not be one of your favorite things to do, but it does improve your brain in some definite ways.

This is what drawing and creating art, in general, does for your brain:

1. It improves hand-eye coordination.
2. It adds synapses to your neurotransmitters- meaning that memories and experiences stored in your brain can become stronger, more vivid, and easier to access.
3. It increases many of the cognitive functions that research typically labels as the 'creative' and 'right brained' activities.
4. ‘Left-brained’, or analytical, people can stimulate and improve their creativity.
5. Intuition increases.
6. It produces positive brain chemistry like Serotonin, Endorphins, Dopamine, and Norepinephrine. (These enhance brain functions -- for example, Dopamine promotes creativity.)
7. Your brain stem can actually get thicker. (Of course this is good)
8. Your awareness of your surroundings can get sharper and it produces an overall state of alertness.
9. It relieves stress- art is commonly used to soothe the mind.
10. It increases connectivity and plasticity in the brain.

    Pablo Picasso once proclaimed, “Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.” Leonardo Da Vinci said, “Painting embraces all the ten functions of the eye; that is to say, darkness, light, body and color, shape and location, distance and closeness, motion and rest.” So why not give art a try? Dig out your dusty paintbrush and fancy art paper from the garage and get to work. Create something new! Challenge your brain! The possibilities are really endless with a single paintbrush, so see what you can create! Good luck!

-Aileen

Edited by Owen, ETSPTQ & Michael