Five Unexpected Health Benefits of Being Creative

Did you know that there are many hidden health benefits of being creative and creating art? Sounds strange, right? Usually, we hear about the benefits of exercising more often, getting eight hours of sleep at night, or drinking more water. But according to recent studies, there are also health benefits to exercising your creativity!

Creative expression can have a profound effect on both physical and mental health. Art can help us navigate emotional traumas, mental disorders, and even become a preventative measure for age-related illnesses. So, give it a try! We already try so many different things to keep ourselves feeling young and healthy, maybe taking time to create art can be the next thing that we add to our health regimens.

From the World Health Organization’s study of Arts and Health, here are five unexpected health benefits of being creative:
1) Art can Reduce the Risk of Cardiovascular Disease
Engaging in artistic expressions like painting and drawing is a calming process, which can help to lower stress levels. Calming, rhythmic activities slow the heart rate and temporarily lower blood pressure. This reduces the stress and pressure on the heart, improving its overall health. The creation of art can put the body into a calm and focused state, similar to the effects of yoga and Thai chi. The more we can put our bodies in this calm, stress-free state, the healthier our hearts can be.

2) Art can be Used to Treat Anxiety
In the same way that creating art can ease pressure on the heart by calming the nervous system, art can also be used to ease anxiety and agitation. Focusing on the creation of something beautiful can take the mind off everyday stressors and anxiety-inducing situations. Using art as a form of meditation is a wonderful way to navigate periods of high anxiety. Art therapy is becoming more and more popular as a treatment for mental health issues.

3) Art can Bring Light to Depression
For those struggling through periodic or chronic depression, art can be a welcome escape from feelings of despair and hopelessness. The creation of art can boost self-confidence and serotonin levels in the brain. Feeling accomplished in creating a beautiful piece of art can bring temporary relief to those struggling with depression and can even create motivation to seek treatment. Many therapists and psychiatrists recommend engaging in a favorite hobby or art form as a supplement to a patient’s treatment.

4) Art can be Used to Treat Dementia
The World Health Organization has discovered that the use of art therapy can be an incredible tool in the treatment of Dementia and other age-related diseases. The creation of art can stimulate the aging brain in a unique way that can bring a patient with dementia back to the recognition of the current time, or even bring back fond memories from their past.

5) Art can Stimulate Your Brain
Art may be calming, but it is not mindless. Our minds are constantly working while we create. And using our minds in this way can help with clarity and focus or even delay some effects of aging and age-related illnesses. We often use tools like word puzzles and number games for mental exercise to keep our brains young and agile. But, as it turns out, creating complex pieces of art regularly can have a similar effect as a mental exercise. The process of creating a work of art incorporates many stimulating visual elements for your brain to keep track of—features like the contrast between light and shadows, perspective, and precise details may help you recall fundamental artistic concepts and engage your brain in a number of ways.

The benefits of being creative certainly outweigh any potential risk. There is a common misconception that you must be “good” at making art to enjoy the process. But that is not the case. Artwork is subjective, and it can be whatever we want it to be. It doesn’t have to be precise, and it doesn’t have to mean anything, it only needs to be an outlet for exercising your creativity. While some artists are drawn toward hyper-realistic painting or geometric design, finger painting and absent-minded doodling can also be highly enjoyable and rewarding.

As defined by Webster’s Dictionary, art is simply a visual design.

In other words, a work of art is what we find pleasing to the eye. And now, creating art can be beneficial for the mind and body as well!

In this fast-paced, high-stress world that we live in, it’s becoming more and more vital that we make an effort to slow down and take time to do the things that we enjoy. Instead of watching our hair go grayer and our blood pressure get higher, we could be setting aside some time for our mental and physical health to practice being creative with our favorite kinds of visual art. There are many forms of art to engage in. Choose a few that you love and be intentional about engaging in them regularly. It won’t be long before you feel the benefits of being creative.

World Health Organization Article: https://www.who.int/initiatives/arts-and-health
Definition of Art: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/art