Art in any form can be healing for both the mind and body. Even people with an extremely limited knowledge of the artistic world, such as myself, can still benefit from art. I am by no means an artist, but I still enjoy being artistic from time to time. Here are three ways that art is healing and therapeutic.

1. Art Changes People's Perception of the World

Art inspires imagination and creativity. Artwork changes people's perception of the world. Art opens up the imagination so that people can look at the world through a different and more creative lens. Without art in their lives, people would not be imaginative or creative. People would be more concerned with learning about what someone else figured out than coming up with ideas of their own. Art can provide people with a completely different outlook on life. Without art, people would have nothing to look forward to, imagine, or be excited about. The world would be an extremely dull and boring place. Nothing new would be created, and the future would not be exciting because people would not have their imaginations open to the endless possibilities of what could happen.

2. Art Helps Relieve Stress

Art is calming. Artwork helps to relieve stress by functioning as a creative outlet for the artist. Art allows the artist to take their mind off of whatever is stressing them out. By focusing on the artwork instead, the artist is able to put his or her mind at ease for at least a little while. The stress that is relieved through artwork can be beneficial to the rest of the body. Stress can cause people to be overweight, lose sleep, and have a multitude of other health issues. By relieving their stress through artwork, people are able to improve their overall health and well being.

3. Artwork is Constructive

Whether the artist is making artwork to relieve stress or just for the sake of creating art, artwork is a constructive activity. Artwork is not harmful to the artist or any individual involved in the process. Furthermore, something new is created through art. Artist do not destroy, they create something that was not there before through their artistic process. People who are stressed or upset often turn to destructive outlets. Some of the outlets that people chose may be destructive towards either themselves or the people around them. Art helps channel people's creativity and allows people to partake in positive and uplifting techniques of relieving stress and anxiety.

Even if you are not an artist, artwork can still be a beneficial and creative outlet. Everyone can benefit from artwork whether it's by relieving stress or just an outlet for creativity.