Why could making art be healthy for you.

Art can be a powerful tool to fight stress and improve our mental health. It can improve our mood, reduce anxiety and lower our levels of burnout. It can also dramatically improve our relationships with others. Creating art reduces the amount of social anxiety and boosts confidence in one’s abilities. Art can also be a great outlet for stress due to its ability to be therapeutic (you can read about art therapy here). Many people report that art has helped them with their anxiety and even mental illnesses, I have to say I’m in this group of people, having my life completely changed since the moment I came back to making art after a period of 10+ years without it. So here you can read about the most important reason to start making art right now, which is your mental health.

Benefits of making art

– Creative outlet – 

Art is a beautiful way to express yourself and unblock your creative potential. It also allows you to put your emotions and thoughts on paper or canvas and allow others to see them if you allow it.

 Being able to create something beautiful and meaningful can have a profound effect on your well-being, your self-esteem and your concentration are especially benefited. Isn’t this also a good reason to make art?

 – Better sleep – 

A recent study found that making art can improve sleep because it increases the level of serotonin in the brain, the primary neurotransmitter responsible for feelings of happiness and well-being. In turn, this leads to improved sleep. 

– Better mood and stress reduction –

 Another reason to start making art is that it’s a great way to reduce your stress levels if you have any anxieties or issues with social anxiety. This is because it allows you to focus on one thing and one thing only, and that is making the piece of art.

 – Better relationships – 

Making art with others can actually boost your relationships. It does this by allowing you to be vulnerable with others in front of you, allowing them to see your flaws and be vulnerable with you, allowing you to see their flaws and let go of any social anxieties you may have. We can all make mistakes, it’s allowed, in fact, it’s encouraged!

3 types of art that help fight stress that you can choose to start

– Drawing –

 Drawing is a great way to release stress and improve focus. It also allows you to take your mind off of the stress of everyday life by focusing on something completely different. A professor once told us, “Think of the pencil…”, at the moment I think it was charcoal, “…as the extension of your arm, and your arm a tool for your brain”. Just let it slide across the paper 🙂

– Painting – 

Painting can be a great way to relieve stress and create something beautiful. It can also help you get your creative juices flowing, especially if you are feeling stuck and stumped. But remember to do it for fun and lower the bar at first, don’t pressure yourself to create a masterpiece. Allow the colours to brighten your day 🙂

 – Photography – 

Photography is an incredible way to capture life’s beautiful moments. In this category of art making, I’d like to add flower or plant photography, which has another positive addition, getting into contact with nature. I love this category because it allows me to focus on one particular subject and literally capture the essence of the plant in the middle of a chaotic city or on my way to pick up the kids. Just one shot of a tiny fighting dandelion getting through the pavement, makes me go “ahh what a magnificent force of nature”.

So why your mental health is a good reason to start making art

Art and creativity are powerful tools that can profoundly affect our lives. They can help us release stress, express ourselves in unique ways, and connect with others. Whether you want to paint or want to find creative inspiration in other forms such as photography or drawing, creating art is a great way to fight stress and improve your mental health.

If you are feeling overwhelmed and under stress, now is the time to reach for your paints or pencils. Art can also be something that you can fall back on when you feel you’re spiralling down and can’t handle all that’s going on.

One thing though is that if you feel that your stress and/or anxiety are getting out of hand, I recommend you to seek professional help, like a therapist and not try to fix it all on your own.

I truly hope that you find this little article helpful and that you can get something out of it.

I’m writing this blog to connect with like-minded people, like you, who are looking for inspiration and guidance to begin their own journey in botanical art.

I also tutor and sell botanical art. If you’re interested in any of these or just would like to chat, you can reply to this email.

You can also read more about me here