Art and the mind

When looking for some peace and mindfulness, people can tend to take a more physical approach - as over 300 million people in the world practice yoga or meditation! But what about the effects of art?

Art in any shape or form can be great for forgetting about external stress, and encourages you to focus on the present, and the project that you have in front of you. In fact, reported benefits of engaging with art include enhancing our creativity, making us more empathetic, and even improving our memory!

It can sometimes be difficult to put our emotions into words, or to say anything at all - art can help with expressing your feelings in the way that suits you best! Whether it is through the colour of frit that you use during Fused Glass, the harshness of your brushstrokes at Drawing & Painting, or your chosen topic at Print Club.

Although it may seem bizarre, a Life Drawing teacher at Harvard has stated the benefits of studying and drawing another human! “It’s so vital and important for one human to be studying, looking, and perceiving another human because it eventually creates empathy. You’ll start to understand your own vulnerabilities by studying those of the model.”

Focusing on proportions and the complicated details of the body makes time fly by, and often has a rewarding result to boost your confidence.

There’s always a chance to try Life Drawing at Globe Arts Studio, as we have both a Beginners/Intermediates class and a Intermediate/Advanced class!

Just by drawing and painting another individual, we are subconsciously reflecting on ourselves - and therefore feel more relaxed afterwards as we have acknowledged our emotions. Another great relaxation technique is practicing the art of mandala. This Buddhist art style makes it difficult to think about your worries as you focus on detailed designs. If you’d like to try out Mandala, how about coming along to Carolyn’s Mindful Mandala Monday on Monday 15th April?