Art is not a luxury but a necessity
~ Rebecca West ~
As creative beings we yearn to create — write, doodle, paint, color, knit, (fill in your fave art-y activity here), but it’s difficult to make the time. Creating for the fun of it is often on the bottom of the to-do list or doesn’t even make it ONTO the list.
As a graphic designer and marketing consultant, I create for a living. For years, creating for fun wasn’t even part of my daily plan. Then my husband became sick, our finances were beyond stretched, and my cat starting peeing on the walls and the rugs. I was stressed!
When I realized that “I” was the only thing I could shift in my current life circumstances, I started doodling several mornings a week for at least 15 minutes at a time. Doodling became a meditation. As I grew calmer, Cleo went back to peeing in the litter box. Even on days my husband felt like crap, we both felt more hopeful.
While you likely know intuitively that creating and consuming art is good for your health, research also shows that is true. BMC Public Health published a study evaluating the effects of art engagement on adults. The research parameters defined arts engagement as active (e.g. making art) or receptive (e.g. attending concerts) involvement in creative events or activities within a variety of art forms such as the performing arts, visual arts, and literature.
The results showed that adults who dedicated two hours each week to creating or consuming art over a twelve-month period reported significantly better mental well-being. That breaks down to just 15 minutes a day!
You don’t need to be an artist to get the benefits of creating and engaging in art. Another study published in Art Therapy: Journal of the American Art Therapy Association found that creative activity significantly lessens stress in the body, regardless of artistic experience or talent.
One of the reasons coloring for adults has become so popular is that people who don’t think of themselves as artists can bolster their creativity.
Alice Domar, Ph.D., executive director of the Domar Center for Mind/Body Health in Boston says, “Coloring engages both sides of your brain in that it’s both creative and tactical.” She went on to explain that the creativity comes with envisioning the color selection and how it will play throughout the piece, while the tactical involves applying your decisions to the artist’s design.
Will you give yourself 15 minutes a day to boost your well-being? Besides coloring or creating whatever art your heart desires, you might choose to research a new recipe, take a gander at an artist’s website, or watch a TEDTalk with a creative theme. Remember, art is essential!
Vanessa Lowry is a marketing consultant, graphic designer, author, and professional doodler. Vanessa has coauthored nine nonfiction books and recently published Love Coloring, a coloring book for adults. She also creates customized coloring books for businesses and for weddings. www.VanessaLowry.com