Even if you never turn your creativity into a lucrative career, there are plenty of reasons to pick up a paintbrush. Just as spending a few hours each week participating in an exercise that you enjoy to stay physically fit, finding a creative outlet is important for keeping your mind sharp for your entire life. Painting, in particular, is a fun hobby that is as expensive or budget-friendly as you want it to be, and it delivers a host of health benefits.
Here are a few benefits of painting, learn how it promotes mental health and can boost your overall quality of life.
It Improves Your Memory
Painting has been shown to improve memory and improve conceptual visualization and implementation skills. In fact, people who regularly participate in creative hobbies like painting are statistically less likely to develop age-related memory loss.
It Encourages Creative Growth
Oftentimes, people either believe themselves to either be creative or not creative; this idea that we’re left-brained or right-brained is heavily ingrained, and for those in the “not creative” category, it can be really difficult to step outside of that mindset. Taking up a hobby like painting isn’t just for creative, “right-brained” people, however. Even those who consider themselves to be more analytical can nurture creativity and experience personal growth in that area.
It Soothes Stress and Anxiety
Stress and anxiety are common experiences; virtually everyone faces times of extreme stress, and for many people, stress and anxiety are chronic conditions that they cope with on a regular basis. Painting provides an outlet for people who are dealing with these conditions, letting them relax their mind and focus on a task. Ultimately, this regular release of mental strain leads to lower stress levels and a happier, healthier life.
It Improves Problem-Solving Skills
While painting obviously improves creativity, it also improves problem-solving skills. Painters train their brains to think of things abstractly as they’re bringing the image in their minds to life. As they hit unexpected snags in the process due to challenges from creating the colors they want and facing outcomes that they hadn’t intended, artists learn to adapt and solve problems. This problem-solving mentality tends to boost confidence and carry over in other areas of life.
It Nurtures Emotional Growth
There’s a reason that painting is commonly offered as a form of therapy; not only is it soothing, but it allows people to assess their emotional state and recognize how various events or situations impact their moods and levels of stress. Particularly for those who struggle to open up and express their feelings, painting is a great way to release inner thoughts and convey their personality. Using artwork to work through emotions is a cathartic experience for people of all ages and can promote healing. Artists can also learn to convey a wide range of emotions through their paintings to connect with viewers, a skill which may help those who struggle with social interactions.
Painting comes with a wide array of benefits and is a wonderful hobby for people of all ages and levels of experience. While your technique will undoubtedly improve over time, you don’t have to be an expert to gain from the benefits of painting.
