Art Therapy – The Creative Solution to Improving Mental Health!
Art therapy is a practice that is understood to be a powerful tool in improving mental health. The creation of art through painting or drawing allows a person to disconnect from the many overwhelming thoughts and feelings of anxiety or stress that weighs them down. The positive effects of art therapy have been studied by experts over several years.
The concentration that is required to produce art distracts the artist from their own thoughts and instead, immerses the artist in the creation at hand. Your mind begins to focus on color, pattern, texture, and fluidity of the brush or pencil or whatever tool is being used. In this way, art therapy is almost a form of meditation. Through the creation of art, you can realize that your thoughts are just thoughts and that you are not defined by them. Art helps you realize that you are more than your thoughts.
When we talk about putting one’s thoughts on paper, it is easy to think we’re talking about some sort of list or essay of sorts, but thoughts and feelings can be expressed in immense detail through a picture or a sketch. Painful or traumatic events can be laid bare in the form of a painting, for example. Art therapy helps a person to confront their fears, emotions and mental obstacles. Reoccurring anxiety is the result of something troubling your mind and you can help yourself heal through art therapy. Art is a means of transferring your mental anxieties onto paper.
Engaging in a proactive form of therapy such as art has several benefits. Improvements in mood and memory and a reduction in stress are some benefits you can expect to experience with doing art as a form of release. Stimulation of the creative mind goes hand-in-hand with emotional release. Mental strain levels are thus decreased and this helps overall mental health.
Painting, drawing and other art all come more naturally to right-brain dominant people, as left-brain dominant people are more analytical thinkers. However, when it comes to art as a form of mental health improvement technique, the lateralization of the brain doesn’t matter, as both left-brain dominant and right-brain dominant types of people can benefit from the activity.
Since painting engages the brain in conceptual visualization and practicing implementation of these concepts, t then boosts memory skills, which strengthens your mind such that the chances of developing memory loss in your old age are greatly reduced.
An artist is one who thinks abstractly and is able to bring several solutions in their artwork. These are critical thinking processes and the evolution of the imagination through art therapy helps build these skills that are vital for problem-solving. It is well known that thinking out of the box is something artists are well-known for being able to do, and it is all because of the parts of their brain that they exercise when engaging in their art.
For people of older ages, the fine motor skills involved in creating art can actually help increase mobility in the hands and in the fingers. The mental shortcuts created when using your hands so much in an activity are beneficial because the movements are helpful in daily life.
Since the idea of using art as a relaxing means of improving your mental health, do not be intimidated by it and begin thinking of how complicated it will be to begin this new hobby. Start small – even if it is with a simple coloring book and watercolor paint. A kids color-by-number is a good start if you really can’t get yourself started. Once you have the hang of it you can move onto bigger and more complex art as you want. Or, stick to the simple stuff – whatever works!
There is no reason or anybody not to take up painting or drawing after there is so much evidence of all the benefits that there are to art therapy! Use art as your tool to express yourself. Pour your feelings into a canvas and color it in pastel. Use oil paint to share your mind with the world! Experimenting with art is a healthy and much-encouraged method of improving your mental health while engaging in an enjoyable hobby!
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