Few of us admit to the profound benefits of doing art. In school, we’e encouraged to focus on the ‘more important’ subjects. In fact, even artists can sometimes find it difficult to justify spending time on art, telling themselves they should be spending their time on something more productive or profitable.
Why practice art?
Art has some of the same benefits as meditation. When life feels too busy or overwhelming, it can create a feeling of spaciousness, helping us to ground, stabilize our attention and silence the superfluous ‘noise’ of life.
Art can have a profound healing effect for depression, trauma and illness. And studies have shown that it can stave off disease (including Alzheimers) and boost the immune system.
Art helps us to connect to our deepest, truest selves. It allows us to connect with ourselves on a non-verbal level, to express the unspeakable. Some call this self the ‘inner child’ and others call it the ‘soul’. Either way, this ‘self’ can help you access what your logical, thinking mind cannot.
Art develops our creative potential. We may never become Picasso or Michelangelo but art can help us live freer, more creative lives. The ability to access more creative solutions can have profound benefits in both our daily lives and our work. In fact, it’s one of the key skills we need to re-imagine our world.
Art feeds your heart and soul. It nourishes us and helps us connect to possibility and what truly matters to you. By helping us move into a state of ‘flow’ and timelessness, it can help access the clarity of deepest knowing, our inner wisdom.
Art can be a profound teacher. The process of art-making, with all its twists and turns, teaches us about allowing, risk, surrender, working with ‘mistakes’ and imperfections.
Art can open up new ways of being in the world. Once we excavate our deepest knowing through the process of art-making, this knowledge can help us live truer, more courageous lives. And it can help us to imagine new versions of our personal and collective futures.
Why practice art?
Art has some of the same benefits as meditation. When life feels too busy or overwhelming, it can create a feeling of spaciousness, helping us to ground, stabilize our attention and silence the superfluous ‘noise’ of life.
Art can have a profound healing effect for depression, trauma and illness. And studies have shown that it can stave off disease (including Alzheimers) and boost the immune system.
Art helps us to connect to our deepest, truest selves. It allows us to connect with ourselves on a non-verbal level, to express the unspeakable. Some call this self the ‘inner child’ and others call it the ‘soul’. Either way, this ‘self’ can help you access what your logical, thinking mind cannot.
Art develops our creative potential. We may never become Picasso or Michelangelo but art can help us live freer, more creative lives. The ability to access more creative solutions can have profound benefits in both our daily lives and our work. In fact, it’s one of the key skills we need to re-imagine our world.
Art feeds your heart and soul. It nourishes us and helps us connect to possibility and what truly matters to you. By helping us move into a state of ‘flow’ and timelessness, it can help access the clarity of deepest knowing, our inner wisdom.
Art can be a profound teacher. The process of art-making, with all its twists and turns, teaches us about allowing, risk, surrender, working with ‘mistakes’ and imperfections.
Art can open up new ways of being in the world. Once we excavate our deepest knowing through the process of art-making, this knowledge can help us live truer, more courageous lives. And it can help us to imagine new versions of our personal and collective futures.
An early self-portrait (exhibited on my mother's refrigerator door)