I am writing this as someone who has definitely felt the positive effects of indulging in a creative pursuit, namely writing. I can most definitely say that creative writing has improved my life in a number of ways. One of the most important is that it has helped me organize my thoughts into a more coherent manner and enabled me to communicate more effectively in my everyday life. If you have ever suffered from poor communication, then you know how frustrating it can be to be misunderstood. Failure to communicate adequately can have an intensely negative effect on your mental health and wellbeing. The very act of attempting to get other people to listen and actually hear you can be extremely difficult to achieve and can force you into solitude, giving up on people. This creates a chasm where you are unable to connect with others, including your own family, and this can leave you feeling very isolated, lonely, and ostracised with a sense of distrust of the world around you. In some cases, this inability can leave you very vulnerable. You may well become the target of abuse, which only inevitably causes you to become more introverted, lonely and depressed. You may even be fooled into believing that this is your fault via forms of emotional manipulation like gaslighting. This effect is heightened if this abuse is coming from a parent, caregiver, or a partner. Unfortunately, there are many people out there who struggle with difficulties in communication, leaving them the potential victims. So, imagine finding a way to improve this fundamental process. The fact is, any artistic pursuit can have a drastic effect on your health and wellbeing, and communication is just one benefit of this act of personal healing. In a world which appears to be suffering from a mental health crisis, what is the harm in spending a little time devoted to creating something and improving your health and wellbeing in the process?
Image from Pixabay
Communication
Okay, so let’s begin by looking at communication. Good communication skills can get you quite far in life. It can help you develop great relationships with people. It can definitely help you in your love life. It can help you move forward in your career, it gives you the ability to ask questions in the right way to get the answers you need. It can enhance your understanding of the world and the people around you. It gives you a means of escape from your own mind. Good communication is key to opening up your horizons and developing understanding. Communication, though, is a two-way street. Just as important to speaking coherently is the ability to listen, hear and understand. If you do not develop the ability to listen, then you will be hindered in life. This is why reading, listening to music and trying to understand the messages within a piece of artwork can help you. You are in effect in a conversation with the artist. To communicate with them, across time and space, you need to hear the words, to see the imagery, to listen to the notes and tones etc., to understand what is being conveyed. If you do not listen to the plot, or watch the action of a film, you will not understand what is happening. The same can be said for life. Missing vital aspects will end in misunderstandings, and these can be extremely detrimental. This is something that can deepen any interpersonal chasms further. When you are creating art, whether it be a painting, poem, piece of music, novel, etc., you are paying deep attention to every word, phrase, image, colour, shading, note, everything you use comes together to create the whole of your intention. That means you are heightening your ability to use language and other forms of communication to convey something. By practising art, you are only going to increase your ability to do this. Then, when someone is looking at your artwork, and engaged in it, trying to understand and hear you, it can be very uplifting. Perhaps, for some people, this is the first time they have been heard during their entire lifetime. In some cases, the observer will draw out insights from the artwork that the artist was unaware of. This may help the artist understand themselves better and how and why they are viewed in a certain way by other people. This can be hugely beneficial and can definitely help victims of abuse and trauma. To be seen, heard, and understood beyond our own perception of ourselves can only be seen as a form of therapy. Another aspect to consider in terms of art as communication is if you struggle with people listening to you. A lot of people suffer from the problem of very important people in their lives not wanting to understand them. In fact, these people seem to, quite willingly, close their eyes and cover their ears to your words. This usually happens in close personal circles, such as families, because what you say disturbs their view of the world and the people around them. They do not want their perception altered. An artist can use art to hold a mirror up to reality to offer insights in a way that is once removed from the fact. This can be an extremely powerful tool, and it can often bridge gaps in understanding. This then enables the artist to flow more easily between the two sides of the debate. Therefore the world is closer and more open through the use of art.
Art as Therapy
If you have ever suffered from some kind of trauma and find it difficult to articulate your experiences, you may find some release with art. In fact, many mental health practitioners use art to help their patients. Painting and drawing are particularly useful here. It negates the need for verbal expression by allowing someone to create an image of their emotions instead. This can help the person release some of their thoughts into the world, and it gives themselves and others a better chance of understanding them. Creating music can also be a great way to express an emotion you have no words for. Art is a powerful tool in the arsenal of any mental health practitioner.
Image from Pixabay
Art as Meditation
When you are in the act of creating art, whether it be painting, writing, clay modelling, etc., you enter a flow-like state. This is a state of mind where nothing but you and the work exists. Flow is a concept pioneered by Positive Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihaly, who explained that while in this flow-state an artist will experience a heightened sense of clarity and a feeling of ecstasy. The brain is only able to focus on a limited number of tasks at any one time. That means that during artistic creation, negative external factors no longer exist due to total absorption in the act of creating. In these moments, all the stresses and strains of the outside world are non-existent. This process can, in effect, begin to reprogram the mind to become happier, more focused, and purposeful, ultimately heightening the artist's sense of wellbeing. It is able to increase awareness and can improve the way you process thoughts, feelings, and emotions. Art is, in essence, a way to relax the mind and body. This act can be likened to the art of mediation. The positive mental health benefits of meditation are well known, and if you can get these same benefits, plus many others from indulging in an artistic pursuit, why wouldn't you do it? And, if you are anything like me, you may well find indulging in an artistic pursuit easier than traditional mediation.
Reduction in Stress, Anxiety and Depression
Stress, anxiety and depression are extremely widespread problems with wide-ranging negative effects on your mental and physical wellbeing. As most of us know, stress can be induced by so many areas of life, from your work, family, friendship circle, numerous responsibilities, and many people live in a constant state of stress. Although some people may feel they thrive on a little stress, too much can be very detrimental. It can cause premature aging, damage to your heart, and it lowers the immune system, among other things. Art is a form of relaxation therapy as it releases dopamine in the brain. Dopamine plays an essential role in how we feel pleasure in life. It also affects how we think, plan and make decisions. Not enough dopamine can lead to depression, anxiety, and schizophrenia, etc., and it can even lead to the onset of illnesses such as Parkinson's. This is because a lack of dopamine affects the way neurotransmitters behave in the brain, and over time this can lead to an inability to translate coordination signals. More dopamine helps the body and mind cope with stress on a chemical level. Creating art increases dopamine by affecting the brain's reward centres. Simply put, it makes you feel good. This, in turn, reduces stress, anxiety, and depression. Art, therefore, can be seen as a natural anti-depressant.
Image from Pixabay
The Social Factor
Art is by its very nature an intrinsically social pursuit. An artist is using their chosen art form to communicate something, whether is it be an emotion, an idea, or just the depiction of something beautiful. Art is fundamentally something that is meant to be shared. Sometimes an artist may create something and hide it away, only to find it years later, thereby communicating something of value to themselves. However, most artists will eventually seek like-minded people to share their work and hone their skills. A writer, for example, may join a writing class. Having the opportunity to talk about their passion and garner new insights is essential to the artist. An artistic passion gives anyone, no matter how shy or introverted, the chance to meet new people and widen their social circle and deepen their understanding of the world. The artistic sphere becomes a safe space to explore art, artistry, society and culture. In addition, having an artistic hobby may give you a topic of conversation at other social events. This may give you the chance to talk about music or the theatre at family events, etc. Someone who was once quiet will be able to open up and communicate with those around them in a way that was unlikely to occur before offering them more power in their lives. A passion is always a good conversation starter, and anyone, no matter who they are, can offer valuable insights and enlightenment.
Increased Brain Power
Art has a huge impact on the power of our brains. First of all, it can increase our ability to learn. This is because art nourishes many systems within the brain, such as our integrated sensory system, our attention spans, our cognitive ability, motor skills, and emotions. All these systems are essential for learning. So by strengthening them, you are increasing your overall mental ability. Performing some form of art also changes and enhances your brain waves which can help you see more clearly and logically. It is also believed that it has the power to improve our nervous systems, creating a better connection between nerves. What this means is that your physical body is able to send and receive messages in an enhanced way. Art increases the level of serotonin in the brain, and serotonin is another chemical that is essential to our happiness. This can be for many factors, including the sense of achievement you get from creating something, as well as the meditative effect of art in itself. If your chosen art form is music, this will have the effect of enhancing the connection between the left and right hemispheres of the brain, which can speed up neutral processing and even help you make better decisions and problem solve. If you are older, you may well feel these benefits more acutely. In fact, it is believed that performing art in some way can reverse cognitive decline in older people and even delay to onset of diseases such a dementia and Alzheimers. How many older people do you know that can ace a crossword, or smash sudoku? These brain games a lauded for their ability to prevent cognitive decline, and art has a similar effect as these two mental stimulation games.
Summary
There seems to be little doubt that art can improve your life in some way. No matter who you are, you can use it to help communicate and develop a deeper understanding of life in general. Art is about connecting with people and doing something that helps you develop these connections can only be advantageous in the social world. It can make you happier and help you overcome things like abuse and trauma by coming to terms with what happened to you and moving on. If nothing else, creating art will give you a sense of satisfaction of having created something, and this will increase your level of mental health and wellbeing.
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