DRAWING: YOUR NEW Rx
Apr 16, 2021
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Were kidding, of course!But art therapyISbig news. It turns out thatpeople who make art have less stress,are able tofocus more deeply, have more emotional resilience, and feel more hopeful abouttheir future thanpeople who do not make art.Some recent studies back up those statements.
One of thestudiesinvolved asmallgroup of recently retired seniors inGermanyin 2014. Half of them participated inhands-onart workshop twice a week for ten weeks. The other halftook an artappreciation courseas a control. Both groupswere tested for emotional resilience using fMRI technologyboth before and after the program.
The researchers founda significant improvement in psychological resilienceandfunctional connectivity(the way that parts of your brain talk to each other)in the art-making group, but not in the control group.One of the conclusions of the study was thatmaking art might delay or even negate age-related decline of certain brain functions,according to Katherine Brooks, who reported on the story forThe Huffington Post.
Many artists do some of their best work in thelast third of their lives.For instance,Picassokept on breaking new ground with his artworkuntil his death at 91.AndHenriMatisse, whenhe became bedridden in his later years and thus unableto paint,asked for colored paper and scissors andbegan tocreate the paper collages that turned out to be some of his most creativeand lyricalartworks. He died at 84.Claude Monet, the famous Impressionist,lived to 86, andpaintedeven through failing eyesight due to cataracts.
Many researchers have argued thatart is a basic human need.The drawings in dark cavesin southern France,made with red clay and chalk tens of thousands of years agoby firelight,show how strong the urge tocreate is.AnthropologistEllen Dissanayake wrote, in her bookHomoAestheticus,that even nomadic people, who carry few possessions, take the time to make decorations and adornmentsfor their surroundings.
Creativity is important for many aspects of health and humanrelationships.GirijaKaimal, a professor at Drexel University and an art therapy researcher, says, "Anything that engages your creative mindthe ability to make connections between unrelated things and imagine new ways to communicateis good for you."Sheworks with victims oftraumatic brain injury,among others.
MOREBENEFITS OF ART-MAKING
Art helpsusimagine a hopeful future.The more you draw, paint, doodle, sculpt, or collage, the more you see something emerging that wasnt there before, and the more likely you areto see it through to completion.Weunconsciouslyextrapolate from what were doing with our hands to whats happening in life.In the most basic terms, imagination is tied topossibility,and that meanssurvival.
Art activates thebrainsreward center.Researchreportedin 2017in the journal Arts in Psychotherapyshowed that therewas increased blood flow to the pleasure center ofthebrain whenparticipants weredoodling, coloring, orfreedrawing.It didnt matter whether the participants had prior art training. Conclusion:Art makesus happyand our brain shows it!
Artreduces stress.Obvious, right?! But research backs up this claim as well. Researchers measured the levels of cortisol in the blood of39 healthy adults after 45 minutes of making art with anart therapist and found that it dropped significantly. Cortisol isone of thehormonesthat help the body respond to stress.There were no differences in cortisol levels between those who self-identified as experienced artists and beginners.
Artnudges you toward better focus, or flow.Anything that improves concentration is good for youwe knew thatand art falls into that category. Butart cango one better, because art-makingpushesyouoverthe edgeinto that wonderful state ofmindcalled flow, where you are in the groove,all systems go, clear andcalm,followinga river of creative juicesthat seems togo on forever.If you are in the habit of making art now, you have probably experienced thisintensely pleasurablestate ofsuper-creativityand laser focus.
WHAT TYPE OF ART SHOULD YOU PURSUE?
The answer is whatever you like! If you have never picked up a pencil, brush, or crayon before, take a beginning art classof some kind and experiment with allyoursenses open to whatmightappeal to you. Or perhaps music, performance, dance, or writing will be the art form that is the one for you.
Researchers in one study found that coloringinside a shape, such as a pre-drawnmandala,was more helpfulthan coloring randomly on a blank piece of paper.Other researchers have found that modeling clay wasverybeneficialfor reducing anxiety and stress because it involved more of the senses.
But any type of creation is helpfulin some way.The point is,try something. Ifits not your cup of tea, try something else!
FURTHER READING
Gharib,Malaka, Feeling Artsy? Heres How Making Art Helps Your Brain, npr.org, Jan.11, 2020
Brooks, Katherine,Study Says Making Art Is Good for Your Brain, and We Say You Should Listen,huffpost.com,updated Dec. 6, 2017
Martin, Brittany Harker,Cutting-Edge Research Shows That Making Art Benefits the Brain,inverse.com, June 14, 2020
Submitted & Written By: Patricia Rockwood, Instructor and Staff Writer, Adult & Community Enrichment(ACE), Suncoast Technical College, Sarasota County District Schools, www.ace-sarasota.com (941) 361-6590. For class info, please check out or website or give us a call.
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