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How Engagement with the Arts Can Transform Mental Health

As children we are surrounded by art. When a child develops the motor skills to grasp a

crayon, they are given a piece of paper to scribble on. These scribbles are then proudly displayed

by their parents on the refrigerator, a sentimental symbol of the child developing.

From the start of a child’s life, art is a tool used to help them develop the necessary skills

to progress cognitively and physically. Engagement with art for children is highly emphasized

from preschool through elementary school, with regular arts and crafts and creative projects.

However, this emphasis on art diminishes as we age. Crafts are pushed aside for papers and

homework, and art classes in high school can only be taken in place of academic classes that are

deemed to look more appealing on college applications. Unfortunately, this shift removes an

integral balance that many people need, but do not realize.

Throughout my childhood, I was always encouraged to pursue any interest I had in art

and enjoyed it greatly. Eventually instead of sports, I began taking art classes as extracurriculars

instead. When I entered high school, I was inclined to follow this path. I took an art class my

freshman year and loved the experience; but for the next three years art was pushed out of my

schedule for Advanced Placement (AP) and Honors classes that would look better when applying

to college. With no more time for classes in or out of school, I found artistic hobbies that I loved,

including jewelry making, ceramics, and crochet.

However, my junior year I worked two jobs and took two AP classes and the time I had

to spend on my hobbies withered away. My stress only built up, and I developed a crimson,

blistering stress rash on my left hand that year. This snowballed as the year went on and towards

the end of that school year I became very depressed.

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As summer came around, I quit one of my jobs and had much more time on my hands. I

returned to my hobbies and art and began seeing a therapist. After a few sessions, we noticed a

positive connection between my mood and the time I spent on my art. During that time, I

regained the balance between art and my responsibilities that I had lost as I progressed through

high school. As a result, I made sure to dedicate more time to the art forms I enjoyed, which has

benefited my mental health greatly.

Art has been known to benefit mental health in many different ways, with art therapy

becoming a more popular method of treatment for many different challenges people may

encounter. As technology that helps us further understand the brain continues to improve, there

are many unanswered questions about the neuroscientific explanation for art and the connection

it can have to improved mental health. To learn more about this, I chose to research the question:

How can engagement with art benefit mental health?

In general, working with art can be greatly beneficial for one’s well being. Engagement

with art allows for people to develop new skills and create something meaningful and tangible.

In an article by Gene Cohen that discusses research regarding creativity and aging, he explains

this concept in more depth: “The arts provide some of the best opportunities to experience a new

sense of control or mastery. In the arts, the opportunities to create something new and beautiful

are endless and offer an enormous sense of satisfaction and empowerment” (Cohen). Art can be a

source of happiness and accomplishment for anyone, not just those struggling with mental

health, and help to improve people’s general state of wellbeing. In addition, artistic activities are

proven to improve stress levels in the general population and prevent issues associated with

stress. This idea is corroborated by the University of Washington: “Expressive arts, such as

visual arts, movement, drama, music, and writing, foster deep personal growth and community

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development. Expressive art therapy allows users to laugh, let go, and relax, which helps

decrease depression, anxiety, and stress” (Loeuy). Many forms of art can have this desirable

effect on stress levels, and are easily accessible for the population in one form or another. By

engaging with art through community classes, people can find others they share interests with

and find long term outlets for creativity. Maile Ogasawara, a program manager at the City of

Walnut Creek’s Center for Community Arts, speaks about this in relation to her experience. She

has fulfilled this role for eight years and has worked to help make community art classes more

accessible after interacting with the people who take these classes and seeing what they have

gained from it: “We also are supporting community members who want to learn more about the

arts and want to take some of our classes. Some students are beginners and we have others who

are more advanced and who have been taking classes with us for 20 years” (Ogasawara). In

many communities, people work to make access for art accessible, knowing the benefits

engagement with art can have. Engagement with art is also proven to benefit general and mental

health. This finding was also found in a by the World Health Organization: “Engagement with

community activities such as arts and crafts has been shown to improve general self-perceived

health and aspects of mental health and well-being, with these changes being associated with

improvements in the enjoyment of both healthy eating and physical activity” (Fancourt and Finn

37). Working with art can be extremely influential in maintaining a balanced mindset, which can

lead to other lifestyle improvements as well. As discussed in the study, working with art often

improves one’s own opinion of their mental health, which can motivate them to make choices

that improve other aspects of their life, like choosing to eat healthier or exercise more often. In

all, engagement with art can be significantly beneficial in maintaining a positive mental state that

works to prevent mental health issues in the future.

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An explanation into why engagement with art can benefit mental health is its ability to

allow those making art to communicate without words. Art allows for communication in many

ways that are not verbal. In a critical review of how art therapy can promote improved mental

health, it is noted that, “The scope of kinaesthetic, sensory, perceptual, and symbolic

communication motivates the uncommon receptive and expressive communication modes that

can function beyond language's limitations” (Shukla, et al.). Engaging with art has to ability to

include all of the types of communication mentioned above, speaking to its effective manner of

communication. Communicating through art makes it much easier to express one’s troubles,

which benefits mental health as a means to express ones problems. This is further discussed in a

study that analyzes the benefit of art in school settings: “Art therapists and art teachers can elicit

responses from individuals about the overt and associative meanings in their artwork”

(Dunn-Snow and D’Amelio). The works of art people create, especially children, often have a

purpose and meaning that they are trying to convey. Taking the time to create art allows for

people to have expression of their feelings through art, and this form of catharsis benefits mental

health. In addition, working with art is shown to help people through difficult life changes,

researched by Northwestern Medicine: “This [art therapy] can be especially beneficial for people

going through significant life events like a diagnosis of cancer, a divorce, grief or trauma. It

assists with communication and provides a safe way to share one’s personal story” (Ziert).

Engagement with art can be extremely beneficial for those who have experienced traumatic

events because of the distance it creates between working through them and speaking about them

directly. For many people, overtly discussing their own trauma can be extremely difficult and

triggering. Instead, their challenges can be confronted in a different way: through art. The art that

subjects often create have meaning and the process of creating allows them to physically work

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through these feelings in a cathartic way. Art can benefit the mental health of many as an indirect

means of communication and method of overcoming personal challenges.

For those who struggle with mental health, art therapy can be a very effective form of

treatment. The premise of art therapy is to work with materials and create art to work through

mental health challenges. Doing this with an art therapist allows them to understand the client

through their art and guide them through their struggles. Art therapy can be tailored to any

person, making it extremely versatile: “Art therapy is gaining popularity in mental health settings

because it provides a recovery-oriented, person-centered approach that includes emotional,

spiritual, social needs and clinical demands” (Shukla, et al.). The benefits art can have on mental

health are even more pronounced in a therapy setting, allowing clients to progress using the

benefits of art and therapy simultaneously. To add on, art therapy provides an additional outlet

for clients to express their struggles. The process of art therapy allows clients to work their

troubles in a variety of ways: “Art making within the therapeutic relationship elicits creativity,

evokes positive emotional states of relaxation, and is influenced by specific differences in art

media, art task and perceived skills” (King and Kaimal). Interaction with art in a therapeutic

setting can benefit many people struggling with mental health in a way that other forms of

therapy cannot offer. Engaging in art therapy long term also encourages clients to continue to

progress when they can see physical representations of their progress. The book, Creative Arts in

Counseling and Mental Health, explains this concept further: “Clients who can envision through

paintings, drawings, and sculptures what they have accomplished over a period of time or what

they could become are more likely than not to stay with the process of change until they are

satisfied with their progress (Neilson 66). The physical art created in art therapy works in

multiple ways to help clients, including the therapeutic process of creating the art, working

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through challenges, and using the art as a representation of progress. Engagement with art allows

those struggling with mental health to improve with art therapy and its benefits, demonstrating

that engagement with art benefits all populations in a clinical or casual setting.

To go into more depth, engagement with art through art therapy can be transformative for

those diagnosed with a mental illness. In an interview with Megan Fradley-Smith, an art therapist

with 9 years of experience, she shared a story about her experience working with a group of

patients with eating disorders:

The paper was like an explosion of color. And like, you could see how dynamic it

was. They just kind of had this moment where they could just like, get it out. And

they weren't really worried about what it ended up looking like, which was also a

really big moment for people who are very interested in looking a certain way all

the time. (Fradley-Smith)

She describes the product created by the patients after being offered a large paper and paints for

them all to work with, and they began to let go and use their fingers to paint, not caring what the

outcome was. Art can be an outlet for those facing large or small problems, and the opportunity it

presents to get out frustration and let go can greatly benefit mental health. Engagement with art

through art therapy can benefit those struggling with many different mental illnesses, including

schizophrenia. This is discussed when studying the effects of art therapy on patients with

schizophrenia: “The patients who got art therapy showed a significant average decline in positive

and negative manifestations of schizophrenia than patients who received standard care” (Shukla,

et al.). The source draws the conclusion that patients with schizophrenia who underwent art

therapy showed greater improvement than those who underwent standard care, with less positive

and negative symptoms afterwards, including showing increased emotional awareness. Art

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therapy can help improve symptoms of a variety of mental illnesses and often be more beneficial

than standard forms of therapy, like talk therapy, because of its engagement with art. Engagement

with art in general can be beneficial in combating the symptoms of a wide variety of mental

illnesses. Even without an art therapy setting, the general benefits of working with art are present

with those struggling with their mental health: “Drawing can reduce depressive symptoms,

anxiety and PTSD symptoms and may also reduce the overall effects of the traumatic event,

negative affect and pain, as well as improving understanding and meaning-making of the event”

(Fancourt and Finn 45). Specifically regarding Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, art therapy has

been proven to be extremely beneficial to manage the symptoms patients may have.

Engagement with art in the form of drawing, painting, and even listening to music in an art

therapy environment, or on its own, has shown to be greatly beneficial for those struggling with a

mental illness.

The evidence that engagement with art benefiting mental health is abundant, and this can

be explained from a neuroscientific perspective. Art activates the reward pathways in our brain

by creating or observing satisfying creations. This concept is explained by Christina Cacouris in

an article that discusses new research of how viewing art can create happiness: "Generally,

beauty and music or art is very rewarding to the human brain. It can activate our natural,

de-stressing part of our nervous system called the parasympathetic nervous system that slows our

heart rate down" (Cacouris). Given that engagement with art is able to activate the reward

pathways in one’s brain, this leads to reduced levels of stress and anxiety that improves mental

health. This concept is further proven in a study conducted by Girija Kaimal: “We found that

individuals who worked with an art therapist had lower levels of the stress hormone, cortisol, in

their saliva; they also reported improved mood and self-efficacy and lower perceived stress”

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(Kaimal). This conclusion in the study by first having individuals report their current mood, level

of stress, and other factors, and then working with an art therapist. Afterwards, they completed

the same report as before, and showed great improvement which was corroborated by the

detection of fewer stress hormones in their group’s saliva. In terms of creating art, the process of

learning how to work with new mediums of art and the new experience that brings benefits in

terms of the capacity of one's brain: “Challenging activities and new experiences induce the

sprouting of new dendrites, thereby enhancing brain reserve. Art activities are especially good

because they are more likely to be sustained, and just like the impact of physical exercise over

the long term, the benefits of challenges for the brain increase when they are ongoing” (Cohen).

Engagement with art can be a new and unique experience for many people, and the effect that

this new activity has on the brain is improving the brain reserve, which is the brain’s ability to

combat changes presented with aging and pathological damage. This ability of art means that it

can be especially helpful to the elderly, helping them continue to lead a full life as they age as a

result. Overall, engagement with art in many forms and situations have proven to benefit mental

health, shown by progress from a neuroscience perspective.

Engagement with art benefits mental health in a variety of ways. The research presented

demonstrates this idea in many different ways. Engagement with art is beneficial to the mental

health of the general population and those struggling with mental illness, as it can reduce general

stress levels and ease the symptoms mental illness may present. For those experiencing the

effects of a mental illness, art therapy has also been proven to be an extremely effective form of

treatment because of its ability to allow patients to communicate what they are struggling with

indirectly while experiencing the general benefits engagement with art can have on mental

health. However, the indirect communication that working with art offers is available to anyone

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who chooses to work with it, creating further benefits to mental health. These phenomenons are

backed by neuroscience, which attests to art’s ability to reduce stress through observations of

reduced stress hormones and engagement of the parasympathetic nervous system. In addition,

creating art and learning new skills associated with art are proven to increase brain health and

neuroplasticity, which is the brain’s ability to adapt.

Artistic activities are easily accessible for all, with some of the lowest maintenance

activities including simply drawing or making a collage. In many communities, especially

locally, individuals are working to ensure that art classes can be even more accessible for anyone

interested. However, for many people artistic activities are often pushed aside as their lives

become more focussed on work and other necessities. These people then lose the benefits that

engagement with art provided to them earlier in their life, rarely finding outlets that can replace

what the arts provide. Given that the benefits of engaging with art are so numerous, setting aside

time for art in general life should be a commonplace practice in the world and hold more value to

individuals. It is imperative that people make an effort to spend some time with art, no matter

how frequently. By letting a little art into their lives, people will be sure to experience benefits no

matter their background. As the world becomes more complicated and fast-paced, the relaxation

and other important benefits that engagement with art provides will become even more

influential and pronounced.

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Works Cited

Cacouris, Christina. "Is Looking at Art a Path to Mental Well-Being? With new research

suggesting that viewing art might improve mental health, some doctors are prescribing

museum visits. Is art really a shortcut to happiness?" Wall Street Journal (Online), 01/05

2022. ProQuest; eLibrary,

https://explore.proquest.com/elibrary/document/2616584805?accountid=193803.

Cohen, Gene D. "Research on Creativity and Aging: The Positive Impact of the Arts.."

Generations, 2006, pp. 7-15. ProQuest; SIRS Issues Researcher,

https://explore.proquest.com/sirsissuesresearcher/document/2265446683?accountid=1938

03.

Dunn-Snow, Peggy, and Georgette D'Amelio. "How art teachers can enhance artmaking as a

therapeutic experience: Art therapy and art education." Art Education, vol. 53, no. 3,

2000, pp. 46-53. ProQuest; eLibrary,

https://explore.proquest.com/elibrary/document/199396851?accountid=193803.

Fancourt, Daisy & Finn, Saoirse. (‎2019)‎. What is the evidence on the role of the arts in

improving health and well-being? A scoping review. World Health Organization.

Regional Office for Europe. https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/329834. License: CC

BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO

Fradley-Smith, Megan. Personal Interview. 1 March 2023

Kaimal, Girija. “How Art Can Heal.” American Scientist, 2020,

https://www.americanscientist.org/article/how-art-can-heal. Accessed 27 February 2023.

King JL and Kaimal G (2019) Approaches to Research in Art Therapy Using Imaging

Technologies. Front. Hum. Neurosci. 13:159. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2019.00159

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Loeuy, Katauna Layde. “Art for Self-Care and Mental Health | The Whole U.” The Whole U,

University of Washington, 11 April 2022,

https://thewholeu.uw.edu/2022/04/11/art-for-self-care-and-mental-health/.

Neilsen, P., King, R., & Baker, F. (Eds.) (2016). Creative Arts in Counseling and Mental Health.

SAGE Publications, Inc, https://doi.org/10.4135/978150630604

Ogasawara, Maile. Personal Interview. 15 March 2023

Shukla A, Choudhari SG, Gaidhane AM, Quazi Syed Z. Role of Art Therapy in the Promotion of

Mental Health: A Critical Review. Cureus. 2022 Aug 15;14(8):e28026. doi:

10.7759/cureus.28026. PMID: 36134083; PMCID: PMC9472646.

Ziert, Linda. “Communicating Through Art.” Northwestern Medicine, 2023,

https://www.nm.org/healthbeat/healthy-tips/emotional-health/communicating-through-art.

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