7th May 2021 | Words by Alina Uspenskaya, ArtSocial Foundation Founder

A few years ago, an ArtSocial project led me to visit a refugee camp in Ritsona near Athens - a temporary home for hundreds of Syrians who had fled the war. It was an occasion that really opened my mind about the power of creativity.

*Photo from visit to art therapy project at Refugee Camp, March 2016*

Whilst there, I met a family from Baghdad who had spent months waiting for a decision on their future. They invited me to their tent for tea.

While we were chatting about their journey, they started to show me different objects they had made. These were knitted scarfs and cardigans, bangles and necklaces made of wooden sticks, candlesticks and a vase made of small pieces of coloured glass.

The wall of their tent was also covered in drawings by their two children. They showed me each object with such pride, telling a story of when they’d made it and for whom.

It was the moment that confirmed to me that artmaking is more than a fun pastime. We turn to our creative forces in moments of stress or despair. Artistic expression helps us to get through the day in times of hardship. Just think of all the ‘balcony orchestras’ and rainbow pictures in the windows during the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown.

It made me wonder – what happens to us when we create? What makes this a therapeutic process? To find answers, I turned to neuroscience. I was excited to see that, thanks to advances in biological, cognitive and neurological science, there is growing evidence of the positive impact of arts on the brain.

Let’s see what science says…

ARTMAKING ACTIVATES THE BRAIN’S REWARD CENTRE

What does it mean for you, if you don’t have any serious artistic ambitions? We use imagination not only when creating, but when solving problems or coming up with solutions and tools. We imagine possibilities and we prepare for them. Our imagination also has a huge effect upon how we see the world.

Have you noticed that you feel good when making art? There is a scientific explanation for that. A team of researchers discovered that when you engage in any sort of visual expression, blood flows to the brain's reward centre. Your brain perceives artmaking as a pleasurable experience, and you feel good.

This explains why this refugee family was drawn to creative activities. Amidst all the hardship of life in a camp, creating objects brought them satisfaction and a sense of achievement. I remember how the mother’s face lit with joy and comfort when she took up her knitting.

This ‘feel-good’ factor of the artistic process can also benefit people with addictive behaviours, eating or mood disorders. Rewards pathways in the brain activate during artmaking. So just switching a destructive activity to a creative one, can trick the brain.

REDUCES STRESS HORMONE

Several studies have shown that creating art can lead to reduced levels of cortisol - a hormone that helps the body respond to stress.

Research from Drexel University revealed that 45 minutes of creative activities significantly reduced the stress levels of 75% of participants. And it is the process (not the end result) that triggers that reaction in the brain- it made no difference what level of skill they had nor what materials they used.

Art Making and Stress Reduction by Cathy Malchiodi

That's why art has long been used as a therapeutic tool for people under serious stress or suffering psychological trauma. A study of patients with breast cancer has shown that artmaking sessions helped them deal with negative emotions, putting their mind at peace.

FLOW STATE

Do you remember a time when you were so absorbed into doing something that time just flew by? You lost yourself and all awareness. You forgot the sense of time and space. You were 'in the zone'.

Creative work induces certain activity in the brain that puts you into a 'flow state' - a pleasurable, relaxed, reflective mode with focused attention. This shift of mind was first identified in artists. More recent research has shown that anyone can enter this mindset while creating. And it is so good for the brain - being ‘in the zone’ improves motivation, skill development and performance.

What does it feels like to be in flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

No wonder that the most common feedback we receive from participants of ArtSocial's art workshops is that they, 'wish it would last longer'. Because who doesn't enjoy being in the flow?

IGNITES IMAGINATION

When you engage in creative thinking or any type of visual expression, you turn to your imagination. Scientists long puzzled over which ‘department’ of the brain was responsible for imagination and whether you could train your creative mind.

Researchers from Harvard, Yale and Dartmouth discovered that creative thinking occurs in more than one area - it is a widespread neural network that generates ideas, images, symbols and theories.

And like all neural networks - the more we stimulate them, the stronger they become and the better we are at doing certain tasks. Which means that creativity is like a muscle you can train.

It makes me think of another story from ArtSocial's work. It's about a teenage girl who had complex mental health problems, suffered from depression and had an eating disorder. She was admitted to a hospital where she wasn't engaging with the medical staff or psychologists. But she was open to trying art therapy. After a few sessions, she started to eat better and talk to nurses about how she was feeling. It was a huge improvement that progressed her overall treatment.

Could it be that artmaking stimulated her imagination and helped her to see a more positive view of her future? There is in fact, much evidence to suggest that people with complex health conditions have a more positive outlook for their treatment after participating in an artmaking session. And every doctor will agree that an optimistic mindset is crucial for wellbeing.

So, while artmaking may simply be a fun pastime for many, it can be so much more than that. The scientific evidence is compelling. Creative expression positively impacts your nervous system, makes you feel good and puts your brain in a state of improved focus and motivation. Ultimately, it helps you access this magic state of peace when you can see yourself and the world beyond the circumstances.

All these is indeed encouraging for me. Understanding the true value of creative expression reminds us of the importance of ArtSocial’s work. And of the many benefits that each art workshop or art therapy session brings for the vulnerable children.

How Art-Making Impacts our Brain

ARTMAKING ACTIVATES THE BRAIN’S REWARD CENTRE

REDUCES STRESS HORMONE

FLOW STATE

IGNITES IMAGINATION