By Emma Terry
“Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.”
Think about the last time you were feeling down or mentally unwell. In that moment, what did you do to make yourself feel better, if anything at all? I remember one of the last times I felt down and a little lost in life; it was during the Covid pandemic, just after we had been told that we could not go back to school and needed to stay home, away from all our friends. I was devastated that my senior year had taken such an unfortunate turn. I was looking forward to my last semester of high school, my one and only prom, and of course my graduation. These events were no longer promised to me, and my mental well-being was suffering.
I remember feeling this way, but instead of throwing myself a pity party, I decided to try and make myself feel better. My youngest sister is an arts and crafts connoisseur so I asked her if she would teach me a craft that I could do with her. We ended up painting with watercolor and making friendship bracelets for several days, and these activities made me feel so much better. I was able to better understand and accept what had happened, and I felt less anxious about what was to come. I worried less about the future and was able to focus better on the present. That time spent with my sister doing arts and crafts helped me gain a better perspective on the current situation. I have recognized through this experience and many similar ones that have followed that being creative and making art is a great way to feel better mentally, whether you are good at art or not.
Hopefully, in this blog post, I can convince any reader that being creative leads to improved well-being. Being creative can include an array of activities, such as painting, drawing, knitting, clay projects, music, dancing, poetry, creative writing, collage-making, and so much more! Whether you already enjoy any of these forms of art or are simply interested in one, participating in that activity can lead to several improvements in mental and emotional health. I will explain why this is and how you can get started on creating art to feel better whenever you feel down.
Several studies have been done in recent years to suggest that something called art therapy, otherwise known as mindfulness-based art therapy (MBAT) is effective in lowering levels of anxiety, depression, and stress, as well as increasing mindfulness, coping strategies, and emotion regulation (Ahmadi et al., 2024; Demir et al., 2024; Zhang et al., 2024). I am going to focus on three studies published in the past year that focus on the use of art therapy to reduce symptoms of stress and poor well-being.
A group of randomized patients with diagnosed obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) were treated with MBAT over the course of eight 2-hour sessions. They mainly focused on watercolor painting. The goal was to facilitate the management of intrusive and persistent thoughts related to their compulsive behaviors and obsessions. They found that at the completion of these sessions, and even two months following the treatments, the patients were more mindful, had better emotion regulation, and had reduced their obsessive-compulsive symptoms compared to the control group who did not watercolor paint (Ahmadi et al., 2024). These researchers explicitly stated in their study that “creative expression of thoughts and feelings is taught through art” (Ahmadi et al., 2024). When people who suffer from a mental disorder, or even those who struggle to express themselves properly, are given the proper tools to communicate, they can then understand how to be mindful and control their emotions and actions.
The second study was performed with a group of patients who suffer from chronic migraines. They attended eight 2-and-a-half-hour sessions in which MBAT was used to address their depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms that occurred due to the consistent migraines. Their goal was to use MBAT as a way to prolong the time between each migraine by reducing stress and potential triggers for the attack. After the study, they found that MBAT was “effective in reducing the depression and stress symptoms of the participants and increasing their happiness but was not effective in reducing their anxiety symptoms” (Demir et al., 2024). While art therapy might be great for some to reduce anxiety and depression, as seen in the previous study, sometimes art therapy might not be enough for some to overcome their anxiety entirely. However, their happiness levels did increase which is a sign that well-being can improve by expressing emotions and communicating through art.
The third study is a meta-analysis with a total group of 1,338 clinical nurses. As the number of nurses stays low but the demand for healthcare in hospitals increases, nurses are becoming more stressed due to their high expectations and increased work levels. The meta-analysis reviewed studies aimed to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression levels in nurses through art therapy. The findings revealed that art therapy did help lower stress, anxiety, and depression levels, and it additionally reduced the use of negative coping styles, resulting in an improvement in positive coping styles (Zhang et al., 2024). The studies in the meta-analysis included activities such as painting, music, dance, and drama therapy. Painting therapy specifically “facilitates the active release of emotions in a safe human environment, effectively reducing stress, promoting individual psychological growth and decreasing psychological defenses” (Zhang et al., 2024).
From these studies, and the many more I did not highlight, it is clear that art therapy, which includes more than just painting, is a great way to relieve stress and anxiety. Not only that, but there are many other psychological benefits that occur when one participates in art therapy. Now, I am not saying that everyone who is stressed needs to join an art therapy program. I am simply suggesting that anyone can take time away from their everyday stressors to engage in some creative activity to feel better mentally and emotionally. The whole point of MBAT is to connect with one’s emotions and express any stress or frustration in a way that is healthy and safe. Being creative can promote more mindfulness to understand emotions (see the MBS101 mindfulness module) and can help with self-compassion, specifically labeling emotions and allowing them to take space but not letting them take over (Abraham et al., 2024; see the MBS101 self-compassion module). Creating art to reduce stress can even create flow states in which one can become lost in an enjoyable experience that can reduce stress and create a more meaningful life (see the MBS101 flow experiences module).
If you are feeling overwhelmed about creating art because you are not artistic, there is no need to fear! The idea of art therapy is the creative expression of emotions and life experiences and there is no requirement for “good” art (Abraham et al., 2024). Think of Bob Ross, for example! He made videos for others to follow so anyone could create paintings, and the idea was that no matter the outcome, you have fun and feel rewarded in the end. His emphasis on “happy little accidents” creates an atmosphere in which one can paint and not feel any stress for anything that goes wrong. After all, art is far from perfect!
To get you started, here are five tips on how to use art and creative experiences to improve your well-being. Remember, do not let the art create more stress, this is supposed to be enjoyable and cathartic!
Start Small: Try activities like doodling, knitting, or journaling for 10 minutes a day.
Create Without Judgement: Allow yourself to experiment without worrying about the outcome.
Join a Community: Participate in art classes, workshops, or online forums.
Use What You Have: Repurpose any items that you already have to create projects if buying materials is too much commitment.
Schedule Creative Breaks: Incorporate making art into your routine as a form of self-care.
In conclusion, creativity is not about talent; it is about joy, expression, and self-care! Do not be afraid to start your creative journey today to make your way to a more positive, less stressful, and happier life!
“Creativity is nothing but the mind set free.”
References
Abraham, R., Snir, S., & Regev, D. (2024). Perceptions of young adult clients treated with time-limited art therapy. International Journal of Art Therapy. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/17454832.2024.2375206
Ahmadi, S., Rezapour-Mirsaleh, Y., & Choobforoushzadeh, A. (2024). Effectiveness of mindfulness-based art therapy (MBAT) utilizing watercolor painting on emotion regulation, mindfulness, and obsessive symptoms. Mindfulness, 15(10), 2554–2567. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-024-02454-y
Demir, V., Eryürek, S. & Savaş, E. (2024). The effect of mindfulness-based art therapy on psychological symptoms and happiness levels in patients with migraine: A pilot study. Current Psychology, 43(19), 17664–17672. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-024-05634-0
Zhang, N., Chen, S., Li, Q., He, Z., & Jiang, W. (2024). Efficacy of art therapy in enhancing mental health of clinical nurses: A meta‐analysis. Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, 31(5), 729–741. https://doi.org/10.1111/jpm.13026