Your Brain Needs Art

I took an art class last month for the first time in, well, years. It was called Meditative Collage (I love making collage) and it was fabulous.

Each week, 10 of us met to learn some principles of collage and then we played with collage materials for two hours. It was heavenly. 

Here’s what I noticed: when I concentrated on art, my head cleared. I moved out of worrying about tomorrow or some random thing on my to-do list and into the present moment. And that cranial clarity (yes, I just made that up) lasted for hours - sometimes days. My mind was calm and clear, and as a result, all of me felt calm and clear. 

And it’s not just me, there’s science behind creativity and what it does for you. According to research, being creative, including making art, lowers your cortisol levels, which lowers your stress and anxiety (cortisol is sometimes called the stress hormone - when your stress is high; cortisol levels rise). 

Making art also helps you stay in the present moment, which gives your brain a break. It increases your imagination and helps you to solve problems creatively. I noticed that I was more able than usual to come up with solutions to problems that had been vexing me while I was taking this class. 

Importantly for me, making art also increases your dopamine. As someone with ADHD, I need more dopamine than a neurotypical person. So things that increase my dopamine levels (like exercise and meditation) are an important part of my health. 

Finally, when I was making collage, I noticed that I was in what’s known as flow. You know when you are working on something that interests you and it feels like you lose track of time? That’s called flow state. And it’s an actual thing. In studies, Professor Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (pronounced, Cheeks-SENT-me-high) found that flow state happens when you are doing something you’re interested in that’s a little hard, but not impossibly hard. It allows you to fully concentrate on something without your normal mental chatter. Here he is talking about it. 

So why does any of this matter? Because all of these pieces - practicing being in the present, expanding your mind, decreasing stress, increasing dopamine, working in flow state - these are all important to thriving and flourishing in your life. Why is that important? Because thriving and flourishing are highly correlated with things like contentment, joy, hope, happiness, and the feeling that you’re living a meaningful life. And I want more of those things. I hope you do too. If you don’t, I’m not sure how you ended up on my website (but welcome anyway!), because I am all about helping people and organizations thrive. 

So, break out your pencils, or some crayons or paint. Buy a bunch of magazines and a glue stick, or a canvas or some clay. Let’s make some art and let it help us thrive!