There are so many Benefits to making art (of any kind) even If It’s not your full time job It activates the parasympathetic nervous system which slows our heart and breathing rate, lowers blood pressure and promotes digestion. You do not have to be a professional artist to reap the benefits.
The more time we spend in a PSNS state, the healthier we are! TIPS:
- Try to stay in the present moment and not be too “goal oriented”
- Enjoy the way the paint feels squishing through the bristles, or the pencil feels on different paper surfaces.
- Take time to observe paint colours swirling together on your palette or in a jar of water as you clean your brushes!
- Take the approach of being inspired or motivated by other artists rather than comparing yourself to them
Finding everyday beauty, gratitude for and inspiration in your surroundings contributes to a positive lens on life and you are doing something incredible through your art; bringing us all a little closer by sharing your story, your spirit, your experience.
Exercising daily gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness, mental health, improved relationships and overall life satisfaction.
Gratitude focuses on emotional connectivity and less on materialistic things and acquisitions. Relishing good experiences and reflecting on what you have to be grateful for helps you cope with adversity, trauma and stress. Studies show actively practicing gratitude reconditions and primes the brain to recognize and attract and cultivate more positivity in your life. The practice of Art making can be am enormous help in developing that lens on life.
