Art And Mental Health: The Real Connection

There is no doubt that a stunning piece of wall art can transform your living space. But, not many people know of the positive impact it has on our mental health. Viewing art can be therapeutic in ways you never imagined. To put this into perspective, we will discuss the connection between art and mental health in this article.

• Stress buster

We all get stressed day in and day out over millions of things. From workloads and financial worries to health scares, people tend to get stressed a lot in this modern world. So how are we supposed to take a short break, just to give us a breather?

Looking at wall art, particularly a beautiful canvas painting is certainly going to help. Today, therapists use viewing and creating canvas paintings as part of art therapy routines to help people relieve their stress and become more productive in their daily lives. When you immerse and enjoy looking or creating wall art, it provides a catharsis for unprocessed emotions. It also gives people a break from stressful thoughts and experiences which hinder the quality of their life. Art offers people a chance to stop and refigure the way things are going and get on track with life.

Looking at art may also release dopamine (happy hormone), which makes you feel happy, blissful, or motivated. This is why you feel mentally refreshed after viewing your favorite paintings.

• Fight depression

Wall arts such as canvas paintings and prints are often used in therapies to create a diversion for the human mind to enter a meditative state. And how does this help? According to research, creating art, in particular, can reduce cortisol levels in our bodies. Art offers a creative outlet for people suffering from depression to express their clouded thoughts and feelings. Even if you don’t engage in actually creating art, looking at art can help the mind see patterns and train the brain to power up and develop an emotional attachment to the image. Such activities can help fight depression in the long run.

• Process emotions better

Visual art like paintings is known to stimulate areas of the brain that are responsible for emotional processing. Wall arts can trigger the brain to anticipate connections and find patterns. This is why some images evoke strong feelings in us when we view them. Bright and vibrant paintings, for instance, convey fun and energy, while images in muted blue tones may make you feel peaceful. 

The colors and themes of paintings can make you feel and process emotions in a healthy way; which is why therapists recommend having beautiful wall art pieces at home.

• Road to self-discovery

The kind of art you enjoy and love to look at speaks volumes about your mindset. If you are a person who is having a hard time understanding yourself or pinpointing your feelings, art can be a great help in your road to self-discovery. 

In this sense, artists who create handmade canvas paintings are pouring a part of their personality into their piece of work. This kind of self-expression can be considered as the basis of art therapy.

Health and beauty 

Art adds beauty to your home as well as helps with your mental wellbeing. So the next time a charming painting or a fun canvas print on our website captures your interest, don’t pass on the opportunity to take it home!