Why You Should Create Art
by guest blogger Natalie Jones at http://homeownerbliss.info/
Few things are worse for a stressed-out brain than sitting idle. With nothing to focus on, your brain dwells on its anxieties, rehashing the same problems over and over again without accomplishing anything. Alternatively, the mind gets shut off entirely as you settle in and tune out in front of a digital screen. Unfortunately, neither option is doing your brain any favors.
As hard as it may be to find motivation when you’re stressed out or worn down, staying busy is the best thing you can do for your mind–and creating art is one of the best ways to fill your time. It’s a truly healing hobby no matter what medium you love. Here are a few ways you can enjoy the healing powers of art, presented to you by Tina’s Fine Arts.
Creating Art Relieves Stress
A leisurely hobby like painting, creating mixed media, making pottery, or sewing reduces your stress and improves your mood, but when it comes to destressing, not every activity is created equal. To truly feel the health benefits, your artful pursuit should be mentally engaging so your mind is focused on creating and doing rather than ruminating. Try to find a medium that allows you to come out feeling good about yourself and ready to conquer another day rather than one you overthink. For example, if you spend too much time trying to line up a perfect shot, photography may be more stressful than soothing. Instead, you could opt for drawing or painting, which leave room for you to plan and re-work your creations as you see fit.
Art Challenges Your Brain
Just like physical fitness is important for a healthy body, mental fitness is important for a healthy mind. You might think your brain gets plenty of exercise while you juggle to-do lists and long hours at a demanding job, but doing the same thing day in and day out without time to decompress isn’t benefiting your mental fitness. The best way to keep your mind sharp into the golden years? Commit to practicing a new or favorite art form and challenging your mind to increase neuroplasticity.
Hobbies Structure Your Time
If you’ve ever found yourself mindlessly scrolling through social media when you have a deadline to meet, you understand the saying “work expands to fill the time available for its completion.” When the only thing waiting for you at the end of a long day is a television remote, you end up thinking about work long after you’ve clocked out. With a fun and productive art project to look forward to instead, there’s more motivation to get things done. And that structure is just as important for people without a lot on their schedule as it is for the hyper-busy. Without engagement, the mind wanders to negative thoughts and unhealthy distractions; that’s why you’ll often find hobbies like art and woodworking at the center of addiction recovery programs.
Hobbies Foster Friendship
Making friends in adulthood is tough. Everyone is busy with jobs and families, and social connections are frequently made out of convenience rather than connection — coworkers, neighbors, other parents; you get the idea. But when you find friendship through a shared hobby, it’s easier to build meaningful and lasting connections. With sites like Meetup.com, it’s simple to find like-minded artists in your local area who would love to have some company in the studio.
Create Your Own Art Studio
A great way to reap the healing benefits of art is to create a dedicated area in your home where you practice your hobby. This way, you can avoid being distracted by family members and reminders of other items on your to-do list so you can concentrate on your projects. It’s ideal to convert a spare room or finish a basement to become a hobby studio or multipurpose room (the latter of which can even add to your home value).
Even a corner of a room can become a space for creating your favorite kinds of art if you separate it off with room dividers and keep your supplies on a transportable cart. And who knows? Many people find their hobbies turn into ways to make extra money on the side or even launch a brand-new career. Consider going back to school to earn an extra degree or complete the one you started years ago to see what possibilities are out there. There are institutions with flexible and affordable programs, so you can still keep up with obligations and enjoy your craft, too.
In a culture where being busy is treated like a virtue, it’s hard to rationalize making time for hobbies. But having a hobby is about more than exploring your interests. It’s about making sure you’re tending to your whole self so you’re more equipped to take life’s peaks and valleys in stride. So whether you’re saddled with work stress, coping with personal problems, or just trying to find some passion, start an artistic hobby that adds richness to your life.
Image via Unsplash
