If you’re feeling stressed art is the way to go
Growing up, I was definitely in an art-oriented family. My mom has many paintings that are hung up in my house which she has made throughout the years. My dad is a piano professor and plays every day, my sister draws and my brother is into photography. Being surrounded by so much creativity made art feel like a normal, an everyday part of life. Not everyone grew up like this, but I believe art can make a helpful impact in everyone’s life at any time.
Everyone deserves a hobby that allows them to unwind and express themselves; I find this in art. My mom used to take me and my siblings to arts and crafts events when we were really little, it became a tradition and is a special bonding memory I still cherish today. I have been really into pottery recently, and also enjoy painting to this day. Working with clay lets me slow down and create something I can actually hold and use. As I explained before, art is expressed in so many different forms, and that’s what makes it so special. Art isn’t just drawing, it can be music, dance, photography and more, which is why I think everyone has a bit of art in them. In my life, art has become both a creative outlet and a way to take care of myself.
It’s also great for your mental and physical health. It’s quite known that art helps reduce stress, reduced stress helps lower blood pressure which then keeps your body healthy. Art isn’t just a creative outlet its healthy. It helps cognitive function as well, my dad reminded me of this a lot growing up. It stimulates different parts of your brain that aren’t always used, engaging different senses. This helps brain plasticity which can improve your memory, reduce dementia and keep your mind sharp. If someone told me that there’s something that can help reduce stress, help cognition and it’s easy, I’d be interested.
Once you start being able to apply art, it becomes not just something you create, but something that helps you connect with the world around you. Once you understand the process of what it’s like to create art, it builds a stronger appreciation for the art that you experience daily. My parents would always take me to art exhibits, but as a kid I would get a little bored, as I grew up, I started to understand it more. After I started painting, looking at the paintings in galleries and museums felt different, and I began to notice the brushstrokes, emotions and process of what the artist went through to bring each piece to life.