5 Ways Art Helps You Develop As A Person
The act of expressing your creativity has the potential to reduce your stress, help you focus, and get you in the state of FLOW.
Each one of us can remember as children being introduced to many different forms of art.
There was a clear intention in presenting a child with these experiences. We know that arts can calm the nerves and improve reasoning and teamwork skills, all while increasing attention and motivation. But most importantly of all: art provides us with meaning.
The many benefits of art are more readily felt than read about; these are some of the profound effects you should experience while participating in art. Beneficial acts that are carried out routinely are considered good habits. Art can play an important role in a life full of responsibilities. We all deserve downtime, and art can provide you with exactly what you need in this area. Even a few minutes a day put towards this hobby will leave you with life altering effects. According to the Dana Foundation, an organization that supports brain research through grants, publications, and educational programs, engaging in 5 minutes daily of artistic endeavours over the course of 30 days has been shown to increase the motivation and attention spans of children 4-6. A study put out by the fine folks over at Harvard University claims that development of one’s brain is the foundation for a skilled and responsible community. A thriving economy rests on introducing art as early in one’s life as possible to help develop reasoning and team working skills. Art makes us think outside the box, which is essential for academic achievement and preparation for the workforce. Art is used a lot in clinical therapy due to its effectiveness in relieving stress. While drawing, for example, your thoughts quiet down and you experience a clearer mind to work with. Taking your mind off some of the problems that plague you is the first step in the path to recovery. Everyone from professional athletes to your physician will agree that there is a certain quality that comes when you experience a clear mind. This heightened state is incredibly beneficial to us. Being in a state of flow is the act of being so engrossed into what you are doing that you enter a meditative state. This effect can be felt while drawing, painting, gardening, or writing: all forms of arts will produce this state. Art has the ability to trick our brain with abstract shapes and illusions in order to find patterns, symbols, and above all, meaning. Simply observing art trains your brain to discover meaning in the arbitrary. This ability of giving meaning to objects, shapes, and patterns can be applied to our own lives. One of the biggest questions in life is, “What is the meaning of life?” The only way to find your meaning is to train your ability to discover/create it. Take a few minutes right now to test out the profound feelings which come over us when we participate in a creative act. Remember that this could mean writing, drawing, playing music, or anything that you deem creative. Enjoy the wave of relaxation that washes over you while you gain core skills and enter a state of flow.
The meaning may not occur to you this first time, but rest assured you will have improved your ability to ascertain what the meaning of your life is when it appears before you. Enjoy your downtime, you deserve it. All visual content was provided and curated by the Illuminatree, a collective of artists on a mission to spread the contagious act of art. All images come from their Instagram page. Feel free to click here or the image below to view their profile. .
Read the full article at the original website
References:
