9 Ways That Art Can Transform Your Life

Art is a creative outlet that has boundless possibilities. If you've ever taken up an artful activity such as molding clay on a pottery wheel, or painting a picture, you can understand how creating art can have therapeutic value. Art therapy has been used in many environments like schools, prisons, and nursing facilities.

1. Helps you discover yourself

Creating art allows you to discover new talents, likes and dislikes. You might find that you have a knack for drawing animals, or that you enjoy writing poetry. Self-discovery is an important aspect that aids in self-acceptance. In order to accept yourself for who you truly are, you need to find out who that person is.

2. Brings you closer to friends and family

When you create something and give it to your friends and family, it makes the gift more personal and can have a really touching impact. Take for instance, this tear-jerking video of a grandmother in tears after opening her Christmas gift; a pillow made from the shirt of her late husband. The entire family worked together to make this gift, and it clearly had a touching impact on her. Creating things takes effort, and is therefore a great way to show someone that they mean a lot to you.

3. Gives you a sense of pride

When you make something you're proud of, it improves your self-esteem and can make you more adamant and less fearful about taking on challenges. A great way to incorporate challenges and art at the same time is to try none other than the art challenge. There are tons of specific challenges to choose from, and they can all improve your skills and boost your sense of pride.

4. Increases communication

Art itself is considered a form of communication, and has been used as such for centuries, even before language could be established. Art improves communication by helping us to express and manage our emotions in a healthy manner. An example of this would be having a painful event bottled up inside that you feel uncomfortable speaking about, you may instead choose to paint or write about it to seek closure. 

5. Enhances your hand-eye coordination

You don't need brain surgeon level hand-eye coordination to be an artist, but there are many scenarios in which an artist would need to have a steady hand, such as performing fine brush strokes to give detail. Don't worry if you try your hand at something new and it doesn't come out right, like any skill, practice is the key to improvement. 

6. Can improve focus

Art is often time-consuming, and can require a lot of focus to make sure that everything comes out precise. Luckily, if you are taking part in an activity you enjoy, the tediousness may not bother you. Over time, engaging in art can train your brain to retain better focus. If you are an individual who struggles with attention deficit disorders, it can be in your best interest to take up an art to improve your level of focus. 

7. Completely alter your stress response

A study conducted found that 75% of participants involved in an art-making exercise reduced their levels of stress hormone. Stress is a mental barrier that can often hold us back from being our true selves, which is why art-making can be a powerful catalyst to finding relaxation and comfort in self-expression. It can also help you regulate your emotions in a healthier way. 

8. Can change your perspective

By now, you understand how art can relieve stress and provide an outlet for positive emotional release, so it stands to reason that art can change your outlook on many things. Through art, we can process emotions and visualize  new ideas to gain valuable insight and achieve growth from within. This can lead to the development of a more positive outlook, and push you to make any more required changes in your life. 

9. Improves your problem-solving skills

In the process of creating art, you are always making decisions. You make decisions on what medium to use, how exactly you're going to design it, the color scheme, and much more. This can have a positive impact in how you approach obstacles in the future, you may be put more at ease taking on a challenge if you can reference experiences in the art world where you took on difficult tasks.

When we get in touch with our creative side, there are many beneficial changes that can take place. Whether it's developing a more positive outlook, gaining better insight into who you are as a person, or improving your communication skills, these benefits can come together to transform your life for the better.