It seems obvious that art is good for us as it’s way of expression, allows us to be creative and is fun. Research tells us that it’s really good for our mental health in ways such as –
- It activates parts of the mind linked to joy and contentment making us feel calmer
- Parts of the mind linked to anxiety and stress become less active
- Cortisol levels (the stress hormone) reduce when we with art
- Expression helps us get in touch with ourselves making us feel more secure in our identity
- It focuses on the here and now meaning we overthink less and focus less on stressful elements of our lives
- It can free us from limiting thoughts linked to insecurities
- It can help shift our mental state so that we feel better.
This recent article ‘Brain Research Shows the Arts Promote Mental Health’ tells us why Art is good for us and gives us tips on what we can do to engage with our creative side. 
As a personal challenge, can you think of 1 thing that you can do this week to engage your creativity. This could be sketching how you’re feeling, drawing something, making a photo montage of you and your friends or creating a new playlist. As always, comments and ideas are always welcomed.
Regards