In the 21st century, as much focus is put on emotional and mental wellbeing as physical health. In fact, all of these areas are inextricably linked, and looking towards a model of overall health is the way to go. But this means that the quick fix of going to the gym might not look after all of your wellness needs. Instead, more creative pursuits could help you to become a healthier person.
If you have ever thought about taking up painting as a hobby, now is the time to invest in some brushes, paints, and paper from an art supplies shop and get painting. Here's how you could benefit.
A mindfulness practice. Mindfulness is a huge wellness trend at the moment, and rightly so. Its effects include keeping in the here and now so you are less caught up with anxious thoughts about things you can't change or things you have no power over. It has even been shown to have positive effects on physical conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure, and chronic pain. But mindfulness practice doesn't have to be a meditation, and actually, painting is a wonderful mindfulness practice. When you are concentrated on replicating a colour or manipulating a brush stroke for a particular effect, your mind is only aware of that and stops jumping around—in other words, you are being totally mindful.
Improve your memory. Are you the kind of person that struggles to remember what they ate for breakfast just a few hours before? If so, painting on a regular basis could give the part of your brain that looks after memory a huge boost. This is because learning a new skill, even a creative one like painting, is an intellectual challenge that stimulates your brain in all the right places. And yes, you could also do things like brain puzzles to stimulate your memory, but at the end of an art class, you have a beautiful painting to show for your efforts, and you are more likely to continue with a pleasurable hobby like painting.
A creativity boost. Your brain has a logical side and a creative side. If you have a head for figures but you struggle to find creative solutions to problems, exercising that creative part of your brain via painting could be invaluable. When you try to recreate the way something looks on paper, you are forced to think outside of the box. You have to consider how to mix a colour, how to create a light effect with paint, how to apply a mark to a page using correct technique, and many other conundrums. This gets that creative part of your mind working so you can apply creative solutions to many other areas of your life.
If the idea of painting to improve your mental health interests you, look for art supplies from a provider in your local area and search for a studio nearby.
