Arts & Minds Programme Launches

Activities like painting, sculpting, drawing, and photography are relaxing and rewarding hobbies that can lower your stress level and leave you feeling mentally clear and calm.

Creating art provides a distraction, giving your brain a break from your usual thoughts.

Here are just three of the key benefits to getting creative…

1. Increases happiness

Let’s start with flow – the state that you get into when you’re completely absorbed in something. This can help to increase your positive emotions and reduce anxiety.

It’s not just being in the flow that can boost your wellbeing though. Repetitive activities like drawing, knitting and painting can help to flood your brain with dopamine, the feel-good chemical that helps to motivate us.

2. Improves mood and mental health

Creative activities can also help people deal with different kinds of trauma and negative feelings, by having a calming effect on the brain and body.

For example, studies have found that activities such as painting, drawing or writing can enable people to express or manage their emotions in a positive and productive way. This can include helping them to express their goals, or experiences that may be too difficult to put into words, such as a diagnosis of cancer.

3. Increases brain function

Research shows that people who like to get creative have better connectivity between the left and right part of their brain. This can help to improve your cognitive function - the way your brain works, which can have a positive impact on lots of aspects of your life.

What’s more though, becoming part of an artistic group, helps to build confidence and social skills, enables you to make connections and meet new people, all the while investing time in your self care and wellbeing doing something that you enjoy.

If you’d like to explore this more then our new arts project Arts and Minds has just launched and you can find out more here.