Mental Health: The Healing Power of Art and Culture
Photo credit: Canva
By Lindsay Bissett
“Art opens the closets, airs out the cellars and attics. It brings healing.” – Julia Cameron
Art should evoke feeling. This is what my high school art teacher was always telling me. She would say the most talented, successful artists are the ones who make you feel something. Perhaps success isn’t part of the equation, or perhaps success means more than financial gain, right? My daughter’s drawings of rainbows make me feel joy every single time I see them. Ultimately, it’s the feelings, the emotions, that’s the magic. Maybe even the medicine.
Believe it or not, science is telling us this truth. Art and feelings, art and emotions, art and wellness are all connected. Is art something we can add to our mental health toolkit? It sure is!
How does art provide support during difficult times?
“Practising art can be used to build capacity for managing mental and emotional well-being”, writes Brittany Harker Martin, Werklund School of Education, in Conversation Canada
According to The University of Calgary brain research shows the arts promote mental health. Here’s how:
Visual art fosters adaptive responses to stress, promoting mental wellness
Creating art reduces cortisol levels (markers for stress)
Art is an effective mindfulness practice
Art is an effective tool for therapy, often specifically targeted to anxiety and depression
How can you use art to positively impact yours and others mental health? Here are three ideas:
1. Follow artists on social media.
On average, Canadians spend 6 hours and 35 minutes on the internet every day. Out of that time, about 2 hours and 5 minutes are spent on social media. What if some of that time was spent looking at art? Knowing that art can evoke positive feelings and encourage mental wellness.
Art is very personal. What makes me feel happy feeling may be something someone else scrolls right past. I recommend having a little fun, start going down an art rabbit hole on your favorite app and generously click that follow button. Evolving our feeds from celebrities to creations.
Not sure where to start? Here are a few of my favorites from Instagram:
@morning.star.designs: Paintings reflecting nature and Indigenous culture by a French, First-Nations artist
@driftedcreations: Sculptures created from driftwood on the west coast
@trailbugprints: Incredible cool folks art centered around animals
@laivi_illustration: Paintings of cozy cottages and meadows
@littlebirdpainting: intricately painted sculptures and dishes
2. Gamify it!
Give you colleagues and/or direct reports a challenge to share their favorite artist or piece of art. We are always looking for a non-work activity that isn’t playing two truths and a lie, right? Remember, art goes far beyond paintings to music, architecture and beyond.
Imagine what we can learn about each other through art, and the morale boost this activity would provide.
3. Create art.
Yup, I said it.
Did you know even doodling is more than just a pleasant waste of time and paper — it boosts focus, memory, concentration, and blood flow to the brain.
Sounds silly? Even this Harvard study agrees!
“A report on the learning styles of medical students (who generally have to absorb large amounts of information) indicated that even they may find doodling helpful, as long as they limit the time they do it. A simple 30-minute doodle helps them remember information, fills in gaps in their thinking, and provides a much-needed reprieve from the loads of information they must wade through.
Spontaneous drawings may also relieve psychological distress making it easier to attend to things.”
Doodling can be an entry into making art. For others it might be singing in the shower, taking a watercolor class (I took one by the amazing Elena Markelova and loved it), or creating a post it note mural on your office wall. Whatever it is, whatever art you enjoy, and feel like trying, it has the potential to be incredibly uplifting.
If you leave this blog with anything, let it be a challenge. A challenge to create something. Anything, then share it for others to see. Maybe share via social media post, maybe an email to your team, maybe challenge your teammates to also create something? Weave art into your life and allow the magic of its associated mental benefits wash over you.
As Pablo Picasso said, “Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.”
About Lindsay Bissett:
By day Lindsay is a Human Resources Consultant, with a flair for social media, civic engagement, and mental health advocacy. By night she is a mother of two, green smoothie aficionado, podcast listener, and active glamper.
Follow Lindsay on social media!