How art affects brain-III

Art is actually part of what historians deem necessary for a group of people to be considered a society. Art, along with writing, cities, government, religion, and social structure, is the very basis of life as we as humans have known it for millennia. So, it shouldn’t be surprising that art has both a mental and physical effect on the human being.

Research in the field of art therapy is still ongoing, but many are finding that engaging in art therapy reduces stress. Creating art can reduce cortisol levels for both those who identify as artists and those who don’t, so no matter your skill level, everyone can benefit from making art.

Art allows people to enter a “flow state,” or that feeling when you’re in the zone and lose sense of yourself and of time. Making art can help you be more present, and it activates a variety of networks, including relaxed reflective state, focused attention, and pleasure.

Connecting with art can help anyone decrease anxiety and build coping skills, and for those going through serious distress, a professional art therapist can help to guide the process. Art allows you to express feelings and memories in ways other than words. Making art can be a cathartic experience that provides a sense of relief.

The brain is a predictive machine that uses information about what has happened to make decisions about what we need to do next to survive. Creating art allows you to make decisions and interpret images, figuring out what it means and helping you face potential futures as well as imagine better, more hopeful ones.

Overall, art is an essential part of the human experience. Even if it doesn’t play a big role in someone’s personal life, art shapes the world around us and almost everything we experience when we interact with others. Art impacts what’s on the T.V. when you turn it on, it impacts what you see in textbooks on ancient civilizations (be it cave paintings, classical works, or folk art), it impacts what comes on on your radio and what reaches the tops of the charts on your streaming services. Art impacts us all, whether it makes you sad, happy, or anywhere in between.

References: https://acrm.org/rehabilitation-medicine/how-the-brain-is-affected-by-art/#:~:text=There%20is%20increasing%20evidence%20in,also%20occur%20by%20experiencing%20art.