Art and mental health are closely related, just like psychology and visual art. In this post, I’m trying to give you an overview of the positive effects of visual art. How does visual art affect the brain? How does art promote creativity? I delved into the research and sorted out how and why art has all these advantages that art makers and viewers can benefit from!
It can trigger various emotions, question conventions and beliefs, make you ponder – or simply let you stand still with admiration! Art has a strong, undeniable effect on all of us. It shapes our identity and there are reasons why we need art in our lives.
If you are an artist yourself – or maybe even by contemplating the artwork of others – you might have noticed that art can be relaxing and soothing your mind.
I myself observed that creating art helps me deal with stress, it calms me and makes me happy. For me, being creative is a great way to connect with my inner self.
And most importantly, I totally forget about time and everything else when I make art! When I create art, I am in something that neurologists call the ‘flow state’.
This got me curious and I decided to research a bit into the relation between art and mental health. Is there a proven relation at all? And if so, how does visual art affect the brain?
To my great surprise there is a huge amount of studies available that describe the advantages of art on human psychology.
Not only creating art, but also viewing and analyzing art may have a positive effect on the brain. There is scientific evidence that art impacts brain waves, the nervous system, and our emotions. It can raise our serotonin levels (the happiness hormone) and enhance brain function.
As a consequence, art can change how we see the world and help us grow on a personal and intellectual level.
Sounds interesting? Then I invite to explore with me the benefits of art and mental health! I’ve put together an overview of the psychological and neurological effects of visual art.
Find out how both making and viewing visual art affect the brain!
Advantages of art
Generally speaking, artists are known to be better observers and they also have a better memory than people who do not create any type of visual art.
Even though you might not have thought so, but making art is a very sophisticated process that requires the brain to run full speed.
One possible explanation is that artists are looking for an outlet for their creativity or a way to express themselves. But it is also possible that their creative expression is based on their intrinsic desire to find a way to feel mentally good.
Research supports these positive effects of art on mental health, and in the following sections, we are going to delve a bit deeper into the beneficial relation between art and mental health.
Psychology and visual art
Studies show that almost half of the population worldwide has experienced some mental health issues at some point in their lives before reaching age 40.
The past few years haven’t made things easier for us. Many of us have been isolated in our homes, weren’t able to see family and friends, and maybe not even to go to work as we used to. The effects of the pandemic surely take their toll on our mental health, challenging us to deal with fear and uncertainty on a daily basis.
We all need to find new ways to deal with anxiety and depression (and whatever other mental health issues we might be experiencing).
Art is a proven method to influence our mental health in a positive way. Psychology has been using the benefits of visual art for many years. Just think of art therapy. This form of therapy uses techniques like painting and drawing, but also dancing and role-plays, to improve our well-being.
But visual art has a positive effect on the well-being of healthy people, too! Creating art has proved to help adults to remain happy and healthy.
Now you know what I meant at the beginning when I said that creating art makes me feel happy and calm!
In other words, there’s a close relation between psychology and art, and especially the visual arts are a great way to promote mental and emotional well-being.
Art and the brain
Have you noticed that when looking at the painting of a person, that painted person becomes a ‘real person’ in your mind’s eye? In fact, our brain is immediately able to recognize a face when we see one, and it’s even trying to see faces in things that are not. Just take a look at a socket outlet. It isn’t too hard to make out a face-like appearance on the wall…
But why is that? By nature, our brains are designed to derive familiar patterns in everything we see.
That means each time you contemplate an artwork, your brain is trying to make sense of what it sees. Whether it is the portrait of a person or an abstract painting, your brain is receiving stimuli that it tries to organize into familiar shapes and objects.
How does viewing art affect the brain?
But what’s even more, viewing ‘beautiful’ art affects the brain in a different way than viewing ‘ugly’ or ‘indifferent’ art.
Admiring an artwork that we consider to be beautiful has the capacity to increase our blood flow to the brain by up to 10%. The same happens when you look at someone you love!
Amazing. But there’s even more going on when we are viewing art. Every time we see a piece of visual art (also a movie or a play), we automatically place ourselves into the scene. In neurology, this process is known as embodied cognition.
There are so-called mirror neurons in our brains that translate the stuff we are seeing in a visual artwork into emotions that we can actually feel. The longer you look at an artwork, the more real it feels to you.
You must also know that analyzing an artwork involves both your analytical and creative mind. That means viewing art affects both the conscious and subconscious brain functions. For you that means viewing art may positively affect your soft skills and problem-solving capacities!
Art and mental health
We already talked about art and mental health above, but now let’s go a little bit deeper into the scientific details.
Because there is actually biological evidence that visual art promotes mental health and well-being.
For instance, researchers studied the effects of visual art on the brain using biofeedback methods and were able to demonstrate the positive effects in terms of health and the adaptive responses to stress.
According to them, art allows us to make our mind work in new ways and deal with our emotions in a healthy manner.
In another study, cognitive neuroscientists were able to show that creating art reduces cortisol levels (responsible for stress) and contributes to a positive mindset.
The interest in the relation between art and mental health actually led to a new field of research: neuroesthetics. It’s the study of the neurobiological effects of the arts.
Art and the mind
Interestingly, studies found that art is also an effective tool to become more conscious of your thoughts. In other words, art has a positive effect on the mind – or mindfulness.
Especially visual art is able to stimulate parts of the brain, which are usually not activated through logical thinking. That means making visual art can help you become more mindful and shift your cognitive focus.
This is how you get into the ‘flow’ state!
The flow state was first identified in artists and is a neurochemical state that feels enjoyable and rewarding. In my words: you simply forget time and everything around you and can connect with your inner self.
Many studies have proved the positive connection between making art and getting into the flow, showing positive effects on your mental health, cognition, attention and creativity.
Art and creativity
Talking about creativity, how does art promote creativity?
As you already might have suspected, creating art perks up the brain much more than viewing art.
Let’s have a look at some research here as well because studies found that art promotes creativity in that it increases the neurological connections in the brain and enhances activity in the visual cortex. Researchers say that creating art is like exercise – this is how visual art affects the brain! It helps keep your brain fit, sharp and active, even as you grow old.
When you create art, you need to make decisions all the time. From what kind of work you are creating, what colors to choose, what tools to use, etc.
Apart from that, researchers emphasize that you don’t need to be a ‘professional’ artist to enjoy the positive effects of visual art. All you need to do is start and have fun creating! Art is for everyone, no matter of your skill level.
Art therapists know that creativity is an important aspect in our lives to remain healthy and connected to ourselves and the world around us.
This is true for all types of visual art – whether you like drawing, painting, digital art, sculpting, writing poetry, knitting, and so on. Anything that allows you to express yourself creatively is good for your brain and mental health.
In summary, how does visual art affect the brain?
I think these were quite a few hard facts to show how visual art affects the brain. So let’s sum up the advantages of art on our mental health and general well-being:
- Art clears your head and improves your memory.
- Art helps you deal with your emotions.
- Art makes you feel calmer and more relaxed.
- Being creative is important in order to remain healthy, connected to yourself and the world around you.
- Art engages your creative mind, creates new neurological connections in the brain and shows you new ways to communicate.
- Creating art helps you tackle problems that might arise in your life.
- Creating art can reduce stress and anxiety.
- Making art can get you into the ‘flow state’ – this awesome feeling when you are in the zone.
- There is biological evidence that visual art promotes mental health and well-being.
- Art helps keep your brain fit, sharp, and happy. All you need to do is start creating art now!
Check out more from my 'Art & ...' Series:
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Art can be such a powerful tool for mental well-being, and your post really highlights that beautifully. It’s inspiring to see how creativity can help manage stress and improve overall happiness.
Hi Benjamin, I think that creating art is one of the best ways to deal with stress and connect with your inner self. That’s why it’s such a pity that so many people turn to AI generators instead of learning to make art themselves. The actual process of art making is invaluable for your well-being and self-expression ʕᴖᴥᴖʔ