Art for Well-being: Reducing Stress through Creative Process
Kehinde Wiley, “Mary Comforter of The Afflicted”. 2014
We are living in unusually difficult times. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused all of us to experience drastic changes in many areas of our lives. This myriad of changes has spanned from our daily behavior to our thoughts of the future for ourselves and our families. The global pandemic has reconfigured our lives in every capacity, from grocery shopping and education, to new ways of working. The limited information and expansive effect of this virus has created an environment of unprecedentedly high stress, fear, and the daily necessity to adapt for survival.
On top of COVID, we have the current stress of our political and economic climates while also grappling with the social implications of the Black Lives Matter Movement. The national illumination of rampant violence and systemic racism in policing has been staggering and only one small part of the institutional racism we are now confronted with as a society. The blow back from opinions on all sides of every argument is palpable. Everything seems like an argument- from wearing masks to the way the concept of ALL LIVES MATTER has been weaponized against the Black Lives Matter Movement. Not to mention, the looming presidential election pitting Trump against Biden and all the party politics that accompany an election year. Now Kanye has announced he is running for President? It is enough to drive anyone crazy!
Amid the uncertainty, I come to you today with a powerful tool for you and your loved ones that has demonstrated the ability to reduce your stress levels and improve your sense of wellbeing. ART! In 2018, an experimental study was conducted that indicated a significant drop in stress among participants who created art for 45 minutes.
“Results indicate that art making resulted in statistically significant lowering of cortisol levels. Participants’ written responses indicated that they found the art-making session to be relaxing, enjoyable, helpful for learning about new aspects of self, freeing from constraints, an evolving process of initial struggle to later resolution, and about flow/losing themselves in the work. They also reflected that the session evoked a desire to make art in the future. There were weak associations between changes in cortisol level and age, time of day, and participant responses related to learning about one’s self and references to an evolving process in art making. There were no significant differences in outcomes based on prior experiences with art making, media choice, or gender.”
Hebru Brantley. “Flyboy” 2014.
This study shows that creating visual art of any kind, at any skill level, can reduce stress levels and enhance individual wellbeing. We already know that wellbeing is not only important for ourselves, but vital to the success of our families and our society as a whole. I encourage all of you to take the opportunity to use art to create a sanctuary for yourself through cultivating a creative practice!
Not sure where to start? Luckily, here at Be Strong Families, we have been offering free online art classes for EVERYONE as part of our COVID-19 Staying Strong for Ourselves and Our Children webinar series.
Each of our art webinars are designed for humans of all artistic abilities! Each class we offer the context of art history and learn about artists and art movements that changed the world. We also discuss the art topic du jour in the context of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) and illustrate tangible evidence of how art enhances culture and our lives. Finally, I provide professional instruction on techniques and skills that you can immediately learn and integrate into your artistic practice. You will leave our hour-long webinar with reduced stress and increased capacity to attend to the myriad of things that demand your energy and attention.
Amy Sherald. “First Lady Michelle Obama”. 2018
It is also worth mentioning that even experiencing or viewing art has similar effects! You can actually increase empathy and decrease stress just by viewing art in real life or online. Many art institutions are offering free online arts based educational programming for all age groups considering the COVID-19 epidemic. Below is a curated list of some museums and cultural institutions where you can find art to soothe your soul.
Here is a great article with 12 Museums who offer virtual tours!
Art Institutions for virtual visits!
MoMA.org
Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago
Louvre
LACMA | Los Angeles County Museum of Art
National Museum of Mexican Art
Powerful Black Artists websites:
Hebru Brantley
Kehinde Wiley Studio | Brooklyn, NY
Kara Walker
Jean-Michel Basquiat
Amy Sherald
Joyce Scott
Article by: Tracy Kirchmann, Artist and Licensed Professional Educator, BFA, MFA