How Both Creating and Purchasing Art Can Affect Mental Health

How Both Creating and Purchasing Art Can Affect Mental Health

Art has a powerful effect on both its creators and its admirers. Like most things we enjoy, art can calm, ground, and relieve stress. 

There have been studies on the effects of creating art and purchasing art on a person’s mental health. Here’s what we know about the relationship between art and mental well-being.

How Creating Art Affects Your Mental Health

Studies show that art is a powerful therapy for mental health. It is used by many health professionals to help patients not only process feelings but treats stress and anxiety. 

Here are a few ways art is effective in improving mental health.

Creating Art Relieves Stress

One study measured cortisol levels in 39 adults before and after creating mixed media art. Their cortisol (stress) levels were significantly lower after the assignment.

Art Boosts the Self-Esteem of Creators

Tapping into the creative part of your brain consistently helps you feel good about yourself. It validates your ideas by expressing them visibly. As with most creative hobbies, it boosts self-worth and confidence.

Art Helps Process Trauma

Healing after trauma takes time and many forms of therapy. However, research shows that art therapy is an excellent option for patients. It helps process pain and connects the body to the mind facilitating healing.

Art Therapy Helps Users Tap Into Positive Expressions

Expressing yourself by creating art allows you to let go of feelings of depression, anxiety, and stress. It emphasizes relaxation and rediscovering your inner child.

How Purchasing Art Affects Your Mental Health

While creating art is a great way to boost your mental health, simply enjoying art around you can also result in positive emotions. We’ve found that viewing art can be just as beneficial as creating art. Here are some examples.

Reducing Stress by Focusing on Art

In addition to creating art, taking a deep look at art can also reduce stress. Art is hung in places like hospitals because it is scientifically proven to minimize anxiety. This is especially true with calming scenes. 

It was even found that artwork in hospitals led to less pain and a quicker recovery for more patients.

Focusing on Art Exercises Your Brain

When you look at art, your brain works to identify familiar patterns and put meaning to what you see. It may even make you feel a part of the artwork. As the neurons in your head translate what you see, you start forming an emotional attachment to the piece. 

Additionally, when you’re in this state of analysis, you tend to focus on something other than yourself, thus interrupting the pattern of negative thoughts and giving your brain a chance to recover and heal.

Increase Endorphins and Dopamine

When you view a piece of art you enjoy, your body releases dopamine and endorphins – the same chemicals you feel when you’re in love.

Purchasing Art Improves Your Mental Health And That of the Artist

Art is truly therapeutic and can help improve your mental health, whether purchasing it or creating it. 

When you buy art from Art For Your Cause, you’ll bring home art that improves your mood and know it’s from an artist that benefited equally from creating it.

New Product Drop

  • Eye See You<br> Women’s Slip-on Shoes
  • Bearly Hanging<br> Women’s Slip-on Shoes
  • Lion Around<br> Women’s Slip-on Shoes
  • Lucky Bunny<br> Women’s Slip-on Shoes

Share this post

Explore more posts

How Artists Can Benefit Their Communities Through Creating a Cause Nonprofits & Causes

How Artists Can Benefit Their Communities Through Creating a Cause

Artists have always played an essential role in society. They have the power to inspire, provoke, and challenge our perspectives on the world around us. ...
Read More →
Call For Artists AFYC Art Therapy Resources

Art as Therapy – How Art Therapy Can Help with Basic Emotions

Emotions are a factor in every human experience and are necessary for healthy development. While we often relate emotions as reactions to events, they also ...
Read More →
Is Cause Marketing The New Norm? Nonprofits & Causes

Is Cause Marketing the New Norm?

How Linking a Cause Can Help Validate Your Brand Today’s marketing landscape is filled with buzz words, like Social Influencer, Vlogging, Content Marketing, and, well ...
Read More →
Do Incentivized Fundraising Auctions Raise More Money? How? Nonprofits & Causes

Do Incentivized Fundraising Auctions Raise More Money? How?

Many nonprofits cringe at the thought of the time and effort involved in planning an event that is as involved as an auction. Still, few ...
Read More →
Investing In Ethical Art: Paying Artists Matters Art Lovers Blog

Investing in Ethical Art: Paying Artists Matters

At Art For Your Cause, every purchase pays an artist and benefits a nonprofit. Artists are fairly compensated for their creativity and labor that bring ...
Read More →
Art Lovers Blog

What Is Art For Your Cause? 10 Steps For Collaborating With A Nonprofit

Art for Your Cause is the powerful use of creative expression to drive meaningful change, inspire action, and raise awareness for important issues. In the ...
Read More →
Shopping Cart
Scroll to Top

Don't Run Off...

Sign up to our newsletter and get a free factsheet on How Nonprofits Can Collaborate With Artists, Besides Using Their Art.