Everyday Opportunities to Include Art in Your Life

We all know the arts are important, but do you know some of the benefits to including them in your life? Art can improve your health and wellbeing. Research shows that having creative outlets helps people to improve their mental health. So how can you add more art to your life? Here are some simple ways.

Why is Art Important?

Art is a powerful tool that humans have been using for thousands of years. Some of the earliest archaeological finds, such as the cave paintings in France, are artistic in nature. In, “Utilizing the Arts for Healing from a Native American Perspective: Implications for Creative Arts Therapies”, Daphne Dufrene discusses art as a component of life and not as a detached visual archetype. Dufrene describes art as not being a separate aesthetic to Indigenous cultures but rather as an element of life. Art is essential to ceremony, as ceremony is the Indigenous model of practicing wellbeing. Painting, dancing, praying and living are indistinctive of one another in their connections to the emotional, spiritual, mental and physical wellbeing of the practitioner.

Here are some ways art might improve your life:

• Scientists have shown that people who have creative outlets have improved brain function. This is why art therapy services are so important for people affected by brain injury or dementia.
• Art makes people happy, scientifically! When people either create artwork or enjoy the talent of others, their brains release dopamine. This gives their minds and bodies an overall feeling of happiness and contentment.
• Creating art for others is a service. It is a way to give back to your community or even bring joy to your friends and family. Everyone appreciates a homemade gift.

Art Projects You Can Do

Now you might not think of yourself as an artist, but everyone is capable of finding their own creative outlet. Here are some to try.

• Grab some paint! It’s as easy as stopping at your local arts and crafts store after work. Pick up some inexpensive brushes, paints and a canvas. Let your creativity fly!
• Whittle your time away. Remember learning how to carve a figurine at camp? Give it another try, you can use some wood scraps you might have laying around or just start with a bar of soap.
• Try a Sip and Paint night. So you might not be ready to take your training wheels off just yet. That’s okay, you can find a number of local art studios who offer inexpensive painting nights. At these places you can sip some wine and learn how to paint a picture with the help of an instructor. This is a fun way to learn some painting techniques or just rekindle your artistic mojo.

Wait, is that Art?

But maybe you don’t like painting. Well, what if I told you your old hobby was just as artistic as a classic cubist portrait? It’s true! Humans have been crafting designs and pictures into their utilitarian objects for thousands of years. Think of the beautiful ancient pottery that you’ve seen in museums. These were everyday useful items that are still works of art. Here are some things you are already doing that can be artistic.

Art is Life

• Cooking. Even though it’s sometimes that last thing you want to think about, cooking dinner for your loved ones is an artform. Pick up a cookbook about an ethnic cuisine you’ve yet to try and make something new. Or maybe pull out grandma’s old recipe box and make something you have loved since childhood.
• Gardening. Gardens beautify neighborhoods and help you to get some fresh air outside. Even simple vegetable gardens can be beautiful. Keeping plants alive and thriving is an artform!
• Play some music. Dust off your old piano or guitar and sing a song.
• Revisit an old hobby. Pull out that old craft box in the closet and get back to your cherished hobby of sewing, knitting, weaving or making jewelry. These are all creative endeavors that put more beauty into the world.

Remember, anything can be made artistic if you put a little of your own creativeness and ingenuity into it. And there is so much joy to be found in encouraging others in creating their own art. Studies have shown that children who are exposed to art and encouraged to be creative tend to have more resilience and emotional wellbeing . Art can be used to help teach people how to regulate their emotions or recover from grief. The benefits of art come from either creating your own or from enjoying the creative ideas of others.

Try some of these ideas to add a little creativity and art to your life. Then, you can support others in their artistic endeavours by seeing a play, visiting an art museum or going to a cultural festival. See our list of events to know when local artists are out in the community. You can become a patron of the arts by making a donation to Cultural Coalition. We are always encouraging the public to become more involved in the arts. Now get creative!

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29708025
2. Dufrene, Phoebe M., and Victoria D. Coleman. “Art and Healing for Native American Indians.” Journal of Multicultural Counseling & Development 22.3 (1994): 145-152. Academic Search Premier. Web. 26 Sept. 2016. Page 2
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17623380
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28613107