A guest post from Miriam at Pigment Pool.
Have you ever thought of art and home decoration in terms of stress relief and healing? The experience of stress seems to be omnipresent these days. On top of everyday issues at the workplace, societal pressure, and family responsibilities, there is now a global pandemic with strict regulations, impaired mobility, home office rules, and all the challenges, that go hand in hand with the lockdown. According to studies by the World Health Organization, stress is currently the most pronounced health risk in the world.
The effects of the pandemic
Even if it might be comforting to know that we are all in this together, the resilience we have sought to maintain since the onset of the pandemic is wearing thin. Feelings of stress and anxiety about what is happening currently and what the future might bring are very common. After all, we have never experienced anything comparable before and it becomes increasingly difficult to stay optimistic.
What are the consequences and how does the pandemic stress manifest? Besides worrying about the future, we might find it difficult to stay motivated and to maintain daily routines. Activities become less enjoyable, and our mood might be low, especially when we compare ourselves with others as presented on social media.
Coping mechanisms
What to do about it? We all have our individual coping mechanisms, and we now need to get creative to care for ourselves and our loved ones. One way to effectively deal with stress and anxiety is to engage in art. There is a growing body of evidence showing that both art appreciation and the active making of art can relieve stress, support cognitive abilities, and aid communication.
Maybe you have noticed coming out of an art gallery and being in a great mood before? Or hanging that new wall art in your home and noticing a shift towards a much better atmosphere? You have been randomly scribbling on a piece of paper and found some relief? These situations all point to recent findings in the fields of neuroaesthetics proving that engagement with art has a direct effect on a person’s mood, promoting well-being and overall health – regardless of previous art experiences.
Neuroaesthetics
The emerging discipline of neuroaesthetics focuses on the biological impact of aesthetic experiences. It draws from multiple fields of science, such as cognitive neuroscience, semantics, and aesthetics. Since aesthetic encounters are ubiquitous in everyday life, the exploration of their biological implications can give us precious insights into health-related questions. Studies in neuroaesthetics show that both creating and appreciating art can change brain wave patterns, the nervous system, and emotional states. For example, when appreciating a stimulating piece of art, the levels of serotonin rise in the nervous system, which leads to a stabilized mood and the feeling of happiness.
Art therapy
The positive impact of art on the brain is tapped into in art therapy. As an approach that connects fine art with psychology, art therapy utilizes the creative process to help patients address emotional conflicts, explore emotions, and develop self-awareness. No artistic experience or talent is required for art therapy to be effective, making it ideal for a wide array of individuals. No matter if a person struggles with lock-down stress or if there are deeper-lying issues like depression, substance dependency, posttraumatic stress, or anxiety present, art therapy has proven to be effective.
How does art theory help? When involved in the creative process, individuals delve into a state of mindful concentration, which helps when trying to put experiences into a different perspective. Stressful situations and circumstances recede into the background as you lose yourself in the creative process. Recent systematic studies on the creative arts have shown that art creation, for example drawing or working with clay, significantly reduced stress levels. A study published in the journal Art Therapy further proved that participants experienced lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol during an art-making session.
Art and healing
Why is it that art contributes to healing? Art creation is healing since it facilitates forging a connection between your mind and your body. While exercise works the body and meditation focus on the mind, art-making involves mind and body together to promote healing. Each time you sit down to form a clay figure or draw a picture, you engage in mental processes in a physically engaging way.
Due to the impact that art appreciation and art-making can have on our emotional, mental, and physical wellbeing, it is well worth surrounding us with art we like and getting involved in producing art ourselves. Possibilities are numberless: You might decide to invest in some new wall art in stimulating colours you love, or you could regularly go and see inspiring exhibitions. You can start your own arts and crafts projects at home or take part in group or individual art therapy sessions. This is even possible under lock-down conditions: Although there is nothing better than real-life experiences, museums and art galleries offer impressive online exhibitions nowadays and therapy sessions can take place via zoom calls. No matter what the right approach for you might be, art will have a positive impact on you and improve interpersonal, mental, and emotional functioning as well as overall well-being.
