3 WAYS ART CAN IMPROVE YOUR MOOD
Art is more than just a pretty pictures hung to fill the blank space on your walls. Increasing amounts of research has demonstrated that creating and viewing art can actually improve your wellbeing and boost your brain power. Here are the three most prevalent ways art can lift your mood:
DON’T STRESS IT
Studies have shown that viewing art plays a big part in helping to lower stress levels, reduce anxiety and alleviate depression. By simply gazing at a piece of art you are taking the time to switch off, thereby allowing your body and brain to reflect and reset - even if only for a few moments. Researchers have identified a link between looking at art and significant decreases in heart rate, blood pressure and even cortisol levels.
Interlude II
BRAIN BOOST
Looking at art has been proven to trigger all sorts of neurological activity in the brain. Every time we look at a piece of art the brain gets to work processing the visual information it’s receiving. It tries to make sense of what we’re seeing which is why, especially when viewing abstract work, we form familiar ideas from random shapes and patterns. A study by NYU neuroscientist Dr Edward Vessel discovered that not only does viewing certain works trigger the part of the brain that controls introspective thought, it can also activate the areas that are involved with more outward matters simultaneously, giving art the almost unique ability to actuate multiple perception skills. It has also been proven to change our thought patterns and increase empathy.
‘At The Start’ - unfinished sketch by Sir Alfred Munnings. One of my favourite paintings.
FALL IN LOVE WITH ART
Have you ever looked at a particular piece of art and just had that funny feeling, you know, the one that just makes your heart sing? Art has the ability to stimulate our emotions and studies have shown that blood flow to the brain can increase by as much as 10%. When we see something pleasurable, the brain releases the chemical dopamine, which is the same one that is dispensed when we fall for someone romantically. I get this feeling when I’m creating my own art and it’s how I know a piece is finished. It just feels right. Works that give that feeling to me include the ethereal ‘Big Smile’ by Jessica Zoob and the exquisite ink drawings of David Downton.
‘Big Smile’ by Jessica Zoob. This one gives me all the feels!
All my work is created not only as a benefit to my own mental health but for yours too. I encourage anyone who invests in my work to use their art a visual meditation to bring stillness and calm to their home. Find a piece that resonates with you in my gallery and improve your wellbeing today.
Kx