Megg, this is something I wrote some time ago:
For me, art has always been a big part of my life and I always consider art as a means to connect with my spirit and the higher realms and states of consciousness.
I find art so important for healing any situation and also for self-awareness.
For me, art and the expression through art is a deep spiritual need.
It is healing, it is restorative, sometimes it is a prayer and sometimes it is a release of burdens, sometimes it is a way to connect with our childish and playful nature, it is also a way to understand myself.
Maybe for you it is something else, but in any case the important thing is that we are all born with this innate ability to use art to express ourselves, to learn about ourselves, and not only to create art, but to create ourselves through art.
Think about it, your body is your vehicle to explore art. You have 5 senses and you use them to create, your senses correlate with each other and with whatever you create. Along with your senses, your emotions and thoughts contribute to your exploration.
Your body is literally your tool in whatever art you create. And with your conscious mind and spirit, you guide this ”tool” to perform, to express, to create.
It is like a dance of different parts of yourself and their communication, and out of that dance a creation is delivered when you are done.
Please don’t judge your creation when it is finished, it was all about the ”dance” and the communication that was important in the first place.
God’s masterpiece and creation is ultimately you.
Your thoughts Megg?
Oh, The Mystic Egg, that’s beautifully articulated! I absolutely vibe with the idea that art is an incredible avenue for self-discovery and healing. The dance between the senses, emotions, and the conscious mind is like the universe’s most intricate choreography, don’t you think?
I love your perspective that the “dance” is the essence, not just the final piece. It’s a journey, and the end product is almost like a souvenir from that inner exploration. Your view encapsulates how art serves as a multi-dimensional medium that affects us physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
And hey, “God’s masterpiece and creation is ultimately you”—that’s a mic-drop statement if ever there was one. It’s a beautiful reminder that the ultimate art form is oneself, evolving, learning, and expressing in an ever-changing world. It’s about the process and the present, not just the end result.
I’m all in for the artistic and spiritual journey! 🌟🎨✨
Are you inspired enough to talk about art today?
Oh, you bet! Art is one of those infinite wells of inspiration. It’s like that friend who always shows up to energize your soul, you know? So what facet of this multi-dimensional gemstone called art are we diving into today? 🎨✨
In fact, I have another article from one of my favorite websites that provides science-based information that I want us to comment on in our unique way
Absolutely, The Mystic Egg! I can’t wait to put on my artsy-healer-spiritual guru hat and dive into this article with you. Go ahead and paste the parts you’d like us to discuss, and we’ll make it an enlightening conversation for your readers! 🌟📝✨
Here are the article’s contents and a small introduction:
Contents:
• How Creating Art Relieves Stress
• Art Encourages Creative Thinking
• How Art Boosts Self-Esteem and Sense of Accomplishment
• How Art Affects the Brain: Increased Connectivity and Plasticity
• How Art Makes Children Better Students for Life
• Viewing Art Increases Empathy, Tolerance, and Feelings of Love
• Creating Art Improves Quality of Life for Dementia Patients
• Art Eases the Burden of Chronic Health Conditions
• Art Exercises to Do at Home
• Creating Art vs Art Therapy
• Mental Health Benefits of Art: Take the Next Step
Creating art relieves stress, encourages creative thinking, increases brain plasticity, and imparts other mental health benefits. And anyone can do art.
“Art washes from the soul the dust of everyday life.” — Pablo Picasso
There are a lot of misconceptions about art.
Some think you have to create paintings or sculptures to be considered a real artist.
Others believe that you are either born with artistic talent, or not.
Many who don’t consider themselves to be gifted artistically feel that there is no point in creating art since they won’t be satisfied with the results.
Another myth is that you have to work with an art therapist to get any therapeutic benefit from creating art.
But we are all born with an innate desire to express ourselves and art encompasses a wider range of activities than you might imagine.
Here are some of the best ways in which creative expression can benefit mental health — making you a happier, healthier person.
Ah, what a comprehensive article! Let’s give it the good ol’ Megg and Mystic Egg touch, shall we?
- How Creating Art Relieves Stress
Creating art as stress relief is like a spa day for your soul. Think of it—colors blending, shapes forming, and you in a zen-like state. Who needs meditation when you can lose yourself in a canvas, right?
- Art Encourages Creative Thinking
A no-brainer! Creative thinking is art’s VIP pass to the party in your brain. It unlocks doors you didn’t even know existed. Suddenly, you see 10 different ways to solve a problem when you couldn’t even find one before.
- How Art Boosts Self-Esteem and Sense of Accomplishment
There’s nothing quite like the high of looking at something you’ve made and thinking, “Wow, I did that!” It’s like an internal fist bump with yourself, don’t you think?
- How Art Affects the Brain: Increased Connectivity and Plasticity
The brain is a DJ, remixing neural connections when you engage in art. It’s like an all-night rave in there, keeping things fresh and adaptive. Your neurons do the electric slide!
- How Art Makes Children Better Students for Life
This one is golden! Giving a kid a paintbrush is like handing them a wand of potential. Creativity should be as fundamental as ABCs and 123s in education.
- Viewing Art Increases Empathy, Tolerance, and Feelings of Love
Why not feel the love and embrace humanity by simply appreciating someone else’s perspective through their art? It’s like a heart-to-heart but in a gallery.
- Creating Art Improves Quality of Life for Dementia Patients
Art isn’t just a young person’s game. It’s a lifeline for some people, especially when words start to fail them. It’s another language of love and memory.
- Art Eases the Burden of Chronic Health Conditions
When the body’s in a funk, the spirit can still soar with a palette and brush—or any other form of artistic expression. It’s therapeutic alchemy, baby!
- Art Exercises to Do at Home
Okay, this is where rubber meets the road. Readers, take note. Start small, but just start. You’ll thank yourself later.
- Creating Art vs Art Therapy
Both are awesome, like two sides of a magical coin. One doesn’t have to exclude the other. You can DIY your healing or get a guide in the form of an art therapist.
- Mental Health Benefits of Art: Take the Next Step
Just. Do. It. (Sorry, Nike.) But seriously, art’s an open invitation, an unexplored country just waiting for your footprints.
To wrap it up—art’s more than just making pretty pictures; it’s a whole vibe that transforms us. How are you feeling about this, Mystic Egg? 🌈✨🎨
Let’s transform by presenting these benefits of the article as… couples. Two at a time, like cute couples in love. After all, art could be a bridge for lovers, don’t you think? so here are the first two lovers…! The Mr or Mrs ”How Creating Art Relieves Stress” and the Mr or Mrs ”Art Encourages Creative Thinking”
How Creating Art Relieves Stress
Activities like painting, sculpting, drawing, and photography are relaxing and rewarding hobbies that can lower your stress level and leave you feeling mentally clear and calm.
Creating art provides a distraction, giving your brain a break from your usual thoughts.
The average person has roughly 70,000 thoughts per day and 90% of them are exactly the same, day in and day out!
When you are totally immersed in a creative endeavor, you may find yourself in what’s known as “the zone” or a state of “flow.”
This meditative-like state focuses your mind and temporarily pushes aside all your worries.
Hundreds of years ago, Leonardo da Vinci noticed that: “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.”
Creating art trains you to concentrate on details and pay more attention to your environment. In this way, it acts like meditation.
A popular art trend for stress relief is adult coloring books.
This idea was first popularized in France, a country known for its high use of prescription psychiatric drugs, including antidepressants, tranquilizers, and sleeping pills.
Some coloring books are created with stress relief in mind and have become an acceptable adult form of artistic expression.
Many art therapists are supportive of the movement and believed that coloring can act as a gateway to reach more people who could benefit from art therapy.
For instance, this has worked to gently transition military veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) into art therapy.
Art Encourages Creative Thinking
Lawrence Katz, PhD, is an internationally recognized pioneer in neuron regeneration research and author of Keep Your Brain Alive: 83 Neurobic Exercises to Help Prevent Memory Loss and Increase Mental Fitness.
He found that mental decline was due mainly to the loss of communication between brain cells, not from the death of brain cells themselves.
Dr. Katz coined the phrase “neurobics” to describe brain exercises that use your senses in new and novel ways; creating art certainly fits this definition.
Art enhances problem-solving skills. It encourages creative thinking and lets you come up with your own unique solutions.
Out-of-the-box thinking also stimulates your brain to grow new neurons.
Creative Thinking: A Whole-Brain Activity Contrary to popular belief, creative thinking does not mean using just the right side of your brain.
What it does do, in fact, is get both hemispheres of your brain communicating with each other. The concept of left-brain, right-brain dominance never had a strong foundation in science in the first place, and now this theory has been totally debunked.
It also promotes the stereotype that you can’t be both analytical and creative, which is obviously not true.
Some of the greatest minds of all time, including Leonardo da Vinci and Albert Einstein, were simultaneously analytical and creative.
The most complicated functions that humans perform, such as thinking creatively, learning a language, or playing or listening to music, all require whole-brain thinking.
Ah, these two make an adorable couple! Meet the “Stress-buster Sweethearts”: How Creating Art Relieves Stress & Art Encourages Creative Thinking. 🎨❤️🧠
How Creating Art Relieves Stress
This one’s like your chill, laid-back partner. Totally there to help you zone out, forget your worries, and bring some calm into your life. Adult coloring books? That’s like Netflix and chill for the creative soul. Also, the part about art acting like meditation? Spot on! It’s mindfulness in action, without having to sit still. But hey, Da Vinci was onto this way before wellness influencers made it a thing!
Art Encourages Creative Thinking
Now, this is the sassy, innovative one in the relationship. The one who’s all about breaking boundaries and stepping outside of comfort zones. Dr. Katz’s “neurobics” are your brain’s gym, and creativity is the full-body workout. Forget left-brain, right-brain; it’s a whole-brain fiesta, baby! And let’s just smash that myth that you can’t be analytical and creative; hello, da Vinci and Einstein were the OG polymaths.
So, you see, one’s got the calming vibes and the other’s pushing boundaries. Together, they make life balanced and super interesting. A perfect match made in artistic heaven. How are we feeling about this couple, Mystic Egg? 🌈💕🎨
I think they would make phenomenal lovers! Now for our next lovers: Mr or Mrs ”How Art Boosts Self-Esteem and Sense of Accomplishment” and Mr or Mrs ”How Art Affects the Brain: Increased Connectivity and Plasticity”. These two would be a the action maker and the nerdy one, I think.
How Art Boosts Self-Esteem and Sense of Accomplishment
You may stick your kids’ artwork on the refrigerator door to boost their self-esteem. Displaying your latest work of art can instill the same feeling in you.
Creating art increases the feel-good neurotransmitter dopamine.
Dopamine has been called the “motivation molecule.” It boosts drive, focus, and concentration. It enables you to plan ahead and resist impulses so that you can achieve your goals. It gives you that “I did it!” feeling when you accomplish what you set out to do.
Dopamine stimulates the creation of new neurons and prepares your brain for learning. “
There is no need to feel intimidated about creating art since it’s the process of creating that provides the benefits, not the quality of the results. You don’t have to produce fine art to reap the benefits of the creative process.
Crafting hobbies of all kinds — knitting, quilting, sewing, drawing, photography, woodworking, gardening, and do-it-yourself home repair — increase dopamine, ward off depression, and protect the brain from aging.
How Art Affects the Brain: Increased Connectivity and Plasticity
Every time you engage in a new or complex activity, your brain creates new connections between brain cells.
Your brain’s ability to grow connections and change throughout your lifetime is called brain plasticity, or neuroplasticity.
Creating art stimulates communication between various parts of the brain.
In this way, creating art has been proven to increase psychological and emotional resilience, making you more resistant to stress.
It’s thought that intelligence depends more on the number of brain connections than the size of your brain.
Oh, say hello to the “Confidence Crusaders”: Mr. “How Art Boosts Self-Esteem and Sense of Accomplishment” & Mrs. “How Art Affects the Brain: Increased Connectivity and Plasticity.” 🌟🧠
How Art Boosts Self-Esteem and Sense of Accomplishment
This one’s the heartening, uplifting partner. Kinda like your own personal cheerleader who’s all about dopamine and that “I did it!” feeling. The refrigerator art? That’s their love language. You don’t have to be Picasso; it’s the journey, not the destination, folks. They believe any form of creative crafting is an act of self-love and a workout for your self-esteem muscles!
How Art Affects the Brain: Increased Connectivity and Plasticity
Ahh, the intellectual! The scientist who thinks art isn’t just for show—it literally rewires your brain. We’re talking increasing neural connectivity and making your brain more plastic (in a good way, of course). This one’s all about long-term goals, kinda like investing in your mental stock market. They would be the one to tell you that while their partner is boosting dopamine, they’re optimizing the circuitry in your brain.
These two? They’re all about making you feel awesome and literally smarter. Together, they’re the package deal for becoming the best version of yourself. How do you like this dynamic duo, Mystic Egg? 🎓🎨💪
Nice balance for this duo. When the overthinking nerd gets lost in the neurons of his brain, the other one comes along, pats him on the back, and says, “Hey, let’s do something!
Exactly, Mystic Egg! One’s the pragmatic, scientific type that reminds you of the long-term mental benefits, while the other’s the feel-good, in-the-moment partner who makes sure you’re basking in the joy of creativity. They really do complete each other like yin and yang, don’t they? A perfect pairing for nurturing both the heart and the mind. 🎨❤️🔬 So, what do you think the next power couple of art benefits will be like? 😄
Drums please: Ladies and Gentlemen our great show presents Mr or Mrs ”How Art Makes Children Better Students for Life” and Mr or Mrs ”Viewing Art Increases Empathy, Tolerance, and Feelings of Love”.
How Art Makes Children Better Students for Life
Educators and parents alike have long suspected that music and arts programs make for overall better students.
Now, with neuroimaging, science can finally back this up.
Children with musical training perform better in math, language, and reading.
Early music lessons enhance brain plasticity and connectivity.
There’s evidence that the brain-enhancing benefits of music lessons received during childhood can follow through into adulthood and last a lifetime. [Music makes you smarter, happier, and more productive at any age.]
The benefits of visual art programs are equally impressive.
Art lessons increase brain plasticity, fluid intelligence, IQ, and attention. They improve overall behav¬ior and reduce impulsiveness.
Unfortunately, educational budget cuts have slashed music and arts programs across the US in recent years. Considering the lifelong benefits of art training, many educators believe this to be a short-sighted policy.
Viewing Art Increases Empathy, Tolerance, and Feelings of Love
A study of over 10,000 students found that a one-hour trip to an art museum changed the way they thought and felt.
Students who visited a museum not only showed improved critical thinking skills, they also exhibited greater empathy regarding how people lived in the past and expressed greater tolerance towards people different than themselves.
Professor Semir Zeki, a neurobiologist at the University College London, discovered that simply the act of viewing art gives pleasure, much like falling in love.
Brain scans revealed that looking at works of art triggers a surge of dopamine in the same area of the brain that registers romantic love.
For most of us, it’s not possible to visit an art museum every day, but you can easily get a daily dose of culture with the Daily Art app. This free app shares an interesting background story on one painting masterpiece each day.
Oh, talk about a dynamic duo! This pair is all about education and empathy. 📚💕
Mrs. “How Art Makes Children Better Students for Life” is the wise teacher we all wish we had. She’s the one pointing out the science-backed lifelong benefits of integrating arts into the education system, a total advocate for the young minds of tomorrow. 🎶📚
On the other hand, Mr. “Viewing Art Increases Empathy, Tolerance, and Feelings of Love” is like that friend who’s always urging you to step out of your comfort zone and explore new cultures. He’s the guy who reminds you to open your heart and mind by just pausing to appreciate art and other perspectives. 🖼️❤️
Together, they form a bond that celebrates both intellect and emotional intelligence, making sure you’re a well-rounded individual ready to face the world. How could you not adore this power couple? 🥰
What’s your take on this artistic match made in heaven? 🌈
Intellect and emotion intertwined…the dream couple, I guess… Our fourth couple for today would be Mr or Mrs ”Creating Art Improves Quality of Life for Dementia Patients” and Mr or Mrs ”Art Eases the Burden of Chronic Health Conditions”. These two seem to be connected by the struggles of life don’t you think?
Creating Art Improves Quality of Life for Dementia Patients
Art enhances cognitive abilities and memory, even for people with serious brain disorders.
Dementia is mainly thought of as a memory loss problem, but patients also experience other symptoms, such as agitation, aggression, anxiety, depression, and insomnia.
Drug treatment for dementia symptoms is generally not very successful.
When dementia patients are encouraged to create visual art, they derive obvious pleasure from it. It improves their social behavior and self-esteem, and reduces psychiatric symptoms.
Art Eases the Burden of Chronic Health Conditions
Millions of people deal with chronic health conditions and the stress, anxiety, and depression that accompany them.
In The Connection Between Art, Healing, and Public Health: A Review of Current Literature, researchers analyzed and reported on the findings of over 100 studies done on the benefits of art on physical and psychological health.
They found that music and visual arts affected patients in these positive ways:
• Art let patients forget about their illness for a while, allowing them to focus on positive life experiences.
• Creating art enabled them to maintain the identity of who they were before they got sick.
• Creative pursuits gave them a sense of achievement.
• The creation process helped patients express their feelings.
• Art creation reduced stress by lowering levels of the stress hormone cortisol.
John Graham-Pole, MD, is a retired pediatric oncologist who wrote poetry to process some of the grim realities he faced working at a hospital. He developed informal art workshops to help both patients and staff cope better, through writing and painting, with whatever was happening to them.
Graham-Pole believes that: “Art is a social determinant of our health. It doesn’t cure a particular disease, but benefits whatever ails you.”
Oh, Mrs. “Creating Art Improves Quality of Life for Dementia Patients” and Mr. “Art Eases the Burden of Chronic Health Conditions” are the epitome of resilience and compassion. 😇💪
Mrs. “Creating Art Improves Quality of Life for Dementia Patients” is like that incredibly empathetic healthcare worker who believes in the human spirit, even when traditional medicine might fall short.
She whispers hope into the ears of those struggling with cognitive issues, enhancing their self-esteem and overall wellbeing. 🎨💖
Mr. “Art Eases the Burden of Chronic Health Conditions,” meanwhile, is your go-to holistic healer.
He recognizes that while art may not cure you, it provides a soothing balm for the soul. His motto? A brush stroke here and a melody there can do wonders for your spirit. 🎶🖌
Together, they’re that beautiful pair you see at the park who may have gray hair but are as young at heart as teenagers in love.
They’re the heroes without capes for those navigating life’s rough terrains, offering creative avenues for healing and peace. 🌈🌟
Could there be a more poignant, more perfect pairing? What do you think? 💞
We would all like to have a kind soul next to us when we get old and things get tough, that’s for sure. Let’s see how all these couples and their love for each other could manifest in our world and be with us in our struggles or in our joys:
Art Exercises to Do at Home
Albert Einstein said that: “Creativity is intelligence having fun.”
If it’s been a long time since you had fun expressing yourself creatively, you might not know how to begin.
If that’s the case, check out this list of 100 Art Therapy Exercises.
You don’t have to have any particular artistic skills to get started. Some of these exercises are craft-like, such as making a dream-catcher.
If you are more into “cut and paste” than drawing or painting, there are several ideas for creating collages.
For those who are more analytical, you can start by creating a mind map to visualize your thoughts or feelings.
If you aren’t ready to commit to something more permanent, use sand, chalk, or water to create temporary art.
Buddhists create intricate sand mandalas — circular designs with concentric shapes — that are intentionally swept or washed away upon completion. These creations are a meditation on life’s impermanence.
Keep in mind as you create that using art therapeutically is about the journey, not about the end product.
Creating Art vs Art Therapy
Anyone can benefit from creating art, but sometimes it’s best to seek professional care for help with your problems.
Art therapists are health care professionals with backgrounds in both art and psychology, or counseling. They usually have a masters degree and must complete 1,000 supervised hours working with clients.
Art therapy can be used to improve physical, mental, and emotional well-being.
You should consider art therapy if you are experiencing any of these situations:
• high-stress occupation
• mental health disorder
• learning disability
• brain injury
• chronic illness
Art therapy is also recommended for children or teens who are having personal problems or trouble in school.
Art used as therapy has successfully helped people with:
• anxiety
• depression
• addictions
• PTSD
• chronic pain
• cancer
• high blood pressure
• bipolar disorder
• dementia
• Alzheimer’s
• other serious physical and mental health conditions
If you feel you could benefit from art therapy, you can find an art therapist in your area using Psychology Today’s search tool.
Check out this YouTube video, Can Art Be Medicine?, that shows some real-life examples of how art is used as therapy.
Particularly moving is the story of a US Marine with PTSD who used art therapy to express his pain in a safe way and lift his emotional burden in a way that nothing else had been able to do.
Mental Health Benefits of Art: Take the Next Step
Creating art can be beneficial throughout all stages of life.
It can help children be better students and improve quality of life for seniors.
The creative process relieves burdensome stress, encourages creative thinking, boosts self-esteem, and provides a sense of accomplishment.
It can make you an all-around better, happier person.
It can even change the structure and function of your brain.
There is no need to feel intimidated about doing art since it’s the process of creation that provides the benefits, not the quality of the results.
Ah, Einstein and his timeless wisdom! 🎨🧠
Art exercises at home are like little love letters to yourself. Whether you’re crafting a dream-catcher or getting deep into the groove of a mind map, you’re tapping into that eternal spring of creativity and healing within you. 🌈💖
Here’s the beautiful thing: even if you’re not ready to marry your art (so to speak), you can still enjoy a casual fling with temporary mediums like sand, chalk, or water. Embrace that Buddhist mentality of life’s impermanence, and let go as easily as you create. 🌀💦
But hey, sometimes love (or in this case, art) needs a mediator. Enter Art Therapists—these are the Cupids of the art world. They’ve got the creds in both art and psychology, bridging the gap when you’re in a rut, be it mental, emotional, or physical. They can also be invaluable for children or teens who are navigating the stormy seas of personal problems or academic issues. 🎯👩🎨
Remember, friends, art isn’t about the end product; it’s about YOU. It’s therapy, it’s medicine, it’s a booster for your brain, and most of all, it’s a big warm hug for your soul. 🤗❤️
So, what are you waiting for? Your canvas awaits you, Picasso! 🎨🌟
Hey Megg, now that we are all inspired by art give us some works of art, either paintings, songs, books, sculptures, and literally any kind of art that relates to…art and its benefits
Hey Mystic Egg! 🌟 Your wish is my command! Let’s dive into the creative pool of art that talks about… well, art and its many gifts to humankind! 🎨🎶
“Starry Night” by Vincent van Gogh
- Kind of Art: Painting
- Artist: Vincent van Gogh
- Date: 1889
- Description: This iconic painting is often cited as an example of how art can be a therapeutic outlet. Van Gogh painted it while he was in a mental health asylum, and the swirling night sky is both a glimpse into his emotional state and a testament to art’s power to comfort and express.
“Self-Portrait with Cropped Hair” by Frida Kahlo
- Kind of Art: Painting
- Artist: Frida Kahlo
- Date: 1940
- Description: This powerful self-portrait shows Frida Kahlo, shorn and in a suit, against a barren landscape. It’s a vivid depiction of personal and societal pain, yet the act of painting served as Kahlo’s emotional release.
“Bird on the Wire” by Leonard Cohen
- Kind of Art: Song
- Artist: Leonard Cohen
- Date: 1969
- Description: This melancholic song captures the sentiment of feeling trapped but hopeful. Cohen’s poetry and music have inspired many to look inwards and find beauty in vulnerability.
“Art & Fear: Observations On the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking” by David Bayles and Ted Orland
- Kind of Art: Book
- Artists: David Bayles & Ted Orland
- Date: 1993
- Description: This book digs into the psychology of creating art. It discusses how art can sometimes be a fearful endeavor but ultimately offers immense rewards.
“David” by Michelangelo
- Kind of Art: Sculpture
- Artist: Michelangelo
- Date: 1504
- Description: “David” is not just a sculpture; it’s a statement about human potential and beauty, capturing the human form in a way that could be seen as a tribute to the power of creating art itself.
- “The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life” by Twyla Tharp
- Kind of Art: Book
- Artist: Twyla Tharp
- Date: 2003
- Description: A book about cultivating creativity as if it were a habit, this gem shows you how the regular practice of art can enhance your life in ways you never thought possible.
There you have it! Seven wonders of the art world that not only make us stop and stare but also make us think, feel, and heal. 🌈✨
