How art helps us feel better

By Bianca Lee.

Editor’s Note: Part 2 of 5. This Viewpoint was submitted by HopetNet of Carpinteria, a local grassroot suicide prevention non-profit, for Mental Health May.

Art isn’t always just about drawing something well. It’s about expressing yourself. Art can be anything that inspires someone. It can be created for others to see, or just for yourself. A beautiful sunset is nature’s art! A painting or a sculpture is art. So is a meal you make, or a conversation you have.

When we feel an emotion — happiness, sadness or even boredom — we can turn it into art. For example, when I miss someone, I draw a picture of them or make something they would like. It helps me feel closer to them and miss them less. It can help to get the emotion outside of us and onto a piece of paper.

Art can help us feel better and it can even help others feel better, too, because someone else might be feeling the same thing. When you have a difficult emotion, try painting something, writing a poem, or taking a photo and putting your emotion into it. Someone who is feeling the same way might then see it and feel comforted knowing they’re not alone. Helping others can be an art form, too! Being a good friend or giving to someone in need are beautiful ways that you can be creative and also inspire others. Helping others also helps you feel better.

Art can sometimes be physical, like dancing! Moving your body can help release emotions. Listening to music, and hearing the emotion in someone’s voice, can connect us to one another. In the same way, going for a walk or run and admiring nature’s art — beautiful landscapes, flowers and butterflies — can uplift us by getting our bodies moving and letting the beauty around us inspire us. You can see the beauty in the faces of strangers or in the shape of a building. Sometimes, just looking at something and finding things to appreciate about it can help put us in a better mood.

There's a way to do anything in the world in an artistic way. All life forms are artists; we just use different art forms. Doctors are artists when they use their creativity to come up with solutions that can change someone's life. A manager at a store is an artist when they lead their team in a way that inspires everyone to do their best. Bees are artists when they build honeycombs and produce delicious honey. Even when you do nothing, you can do nothing artistically. You can meditate and just breathe in and out. Your thoughts are art when you intentionally think good thoughts about yourself, the people around you, what you're grateful for, and the world. Art is a mindset and each day is your masterpiece.

Life itself is the ultimate art! When we create art, we are doing what life does. When we look at art, we are looking at life. Art is life, and life is art. We give life to others and to ourselves when we do art, whether by making it or by seeing it. There are many different ways to do art, so try different things and find out what works for you. Some things work for some people and other things work for other people.

Feeling better is easier when you have a few things in your tool kit. When you find something that helps you feel better, you can add it to your tool kit and use it when you need it. It’s not always easy, so be gentle with yourself — and remember, talking to someone you trust and who loves you can always help when you're dealing with difficult emotions.

Bianca Lee is a HopeNet of Carpinteria board member.

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