2195488 1

Creativity, Art and Mental Health

Art has always been a major part of my life. From sixth grade to twelfth, I have been an

artist. I remember spending hours poring over paper, shading each character just right. It was

relaxing to sit and draw, from the sketch to the lineart to the coloring and shading. I once spent

all afternoon coloring with pencils, layering different colors to get the depth and colors that I

imagined for the piece. A girl facing away from the viewer covered the page, her long hair

flowing in the wind. In front of her, a dry landscape stretched towards the horizon, with chasms

fracturing the arid surface into a shattered landscape.

Art became more and more of an escape for me. For a few hours, I did not need to think

about school, tests, or college. I could just draw, and let my thoughts and ideas flow onto the

pages of notebooks and canvas. Certain mediums were more relaxing than others, especially

traditional ones like markers, but I always enjoyed myself when I was creating artwork. As I

participated more in online art communities, I began talking with other artists. The more artists I

spoke to online, the more I heard similar experiences described - art helped them feel better, and

kept them motivated to do well in work or in school. Recently, I was chatting with an artist, and

she told me that art was her escape from school. She had been feeling stressed and overwhelmed

with her honors and AP courses, and art was her only break from studying and working. It hit

surprisingly close to how I had felt during my junior year, and how much I relied on art to help

me balance stress and my education.

I began to wonder if art helps other people like it helps me, leading me to my question:

How does creativity and the act of creating art affect mental health? Commented [1]: to get the best look at the correlation
between creativity and mental health, we need to
define our terms
Multiple studies suggest that creativity is mentally beneficial. According to Effect of
mental health refers to the mental stability and coping
mental health on creativity, creativity is defined as “...the act or ability to create something new with nental illness and stress, etc
creativity and art refr to creating art
art therapy has been used for years
 2195488 2

through imaginative skills…”(Viswanath). Viswanath and Reddy found that when comparing

‘high creative’ and ‘low creative’ groups of high school students, the high creative groups had

significantly better mental health scores than the low creative groups. They state that the

“...difference between the mean score of high creative and low creative girls were significant at

0.01 in case of all mental health components…”(Viswanath). Clearly, there is evidence of a

correlation between creativity and mental health.

According Dahlia Zaidel, “...Access to an intact knowledge and conceptual semantic

systems, healthy neural connectivity, and normal levels of neurotransmitters such as dopamine,

are likely essential for creativity...”(Zaidel). Creativity and mental health go hand in hand. When

one has a good mental health state, one has a healthy brain. Dopamine is a hormone that is

associated with happiness and motivation. With healthy levels of neurotransmitters, one has a

positive mental health level.

These trends have also been used in a variety of other studies. One study compiled visual

arts studies that measured health and well-being, and found that in patients with chronic illness,

art distracted them from their illness, and improved their expression of identity, grief, and helped

rebuild their social networks. Another study focusing on Hemodialysis patients found that

creating art improved medical outcomes and reduced depression. Each study emphasized how

creating art could be used as a coping method as well as a way to express emotions.

I wanted to know if this data was consistent with how artists perceived their mental

health connected to creativity and art in general, so I went online. I asked 12 artists about their

perceptions of art, and how it has affected their mental health. According to an anonymous user

who requested to be cited as Crab, “It makes me happy when I [make] art. Even if it's just a little

doodle, it can help me with my anxiety, my mood swings and anger management
 2195488 3

issues…”(Crab). This experience was remarkably common across the interviews. Another artist

mentioned that she felt stressed when they were unable to draw for a few days, and multiple

explained that art helped them manage stress in their lives overall. As I spoke to more and more

artists, these trends became clearer.

Art and creativity also can help physical health alongside mental health. According to

Holly Tiret, the Nutrition and Social and Emotional Educator at Michigan State University,

researchers have found that art therapy “...helped reduce pain, decrease symptoms of stress and

improve quality of life in adult cancer patients…”(Tiret) in addition to other benefits. Like Crab

mentioned in his interview, mental and physical health often go hand in hand. According to the

Anxiety and Depression Association of America, mental illnesses like depression and anxiety

often have physical effects. They state that a major depressive episode may include symptoms

like “...decreased energy, fatigue… insomnia… [and] persistent physical symptoms that do not

respond to treatment, such as headaches, digestive disorders and pain for which no other cause

can be diagnosed,”(ADAA). With art, these symptoms could be lessened. In his interview, Crab

described a similar effect. He explained how he felt that art kept him from feeling sick from

anxiety, and that “...if I get too stressed out or experience strong and negative emotions, I’m

more prone to get sick…”(Crab). Art is his coping mechanism. This is exactly what these studies

found. Creating art takes one’s mind off of a stressful situation or a difficult period of one’s life,

and lessens these symptoms of feeling sick, tired, or feeling in pain. By finding a way to cope

with the mental aspect of these disorders, the physical aspect is helped as well.

Stress is an extremely prominent part of life. According to a study by Lily Martin and her

colleagues, stress is the world’s most pronounced health risk. Creativity and art could help

alleviate some of this stress. Martin mentions how using Creative Art Therapies (CATs) “...use
 2195488 4

artistic media to approach the client on a creative and nonverbal level…”(Martin). Creative Art

therapies are a broad category covering visual arts, music, dance, and drama therapies as a way

of assisting mental health. Martin describes a study done by Kayleigh Abbot which found that

making art resulted in significantly higher stress reduction than simply viewing art. Similar

studies also indicated that focusing on positive experiences while creating art led to stress

reduction (Martin). Art and art therapy can be used to help cope with stress and lessen the

anxiety.

Art therapy works on this very principle. According to arttherapyjournal.org, art therapy

is defined as “...the use of art creation as a form of psychotherapy…”(The History of Art

Therapy). At its core, it is using art to help cope and improve one’s mental health, with a

certified professional. It can be done with a variety of materials, and Don Seiden goes into detail

in his book on the subject. He described how the different mediums and parts of the creation

mean different things to the maker. For example, he states how “...a pen is a powerful

instrument… The image in ink is fixed, cannot be undone without difficulty… it is a

commitment…”(Seiden 35). What one may initially not give a second glance is given new depth

with Seiden’s explanation. The medium used adds another layer of depth in the drawing. For

example, a drawing done in pen may be used to represent something the artist is certain and

decisive about, or one may draw lines to signify divisions or connections.

Art therapy has had benefits for adolescents. According to Shirley Riley, art therapy can

“...be effective for adolescents who usually see it as a nonthreatening form of treatment. The art

that the adolescent produces can help the therapist gain some idea of the youth's concerns and

life circumstances...”(Riley). Art can help people express their emotions and experiences, and

when one is in school, this is incredibly important. School, college, and tests can be
 2195488 5

overwhelming for teens, and only grows as they go from middle school to high school to college.

According to New York University, “6 in 10 college students report having felt so stressed they

couldn’t get their work done on one or more occasions…”(Stress). Art can provide an outlet to

leave it behind and relax, and it has helped teens before. Like Viswanath found in their study, the

teens that were more creative also had significantly better mental health than those who were not

creative.

I wanted to ask a therapist for her perspective on creativity and mental health, so I turned

to Shannon Brueckner. Brueckner is a support counselor at Northgate High School, and offers

short-term and confidential counseling to students. When I walked into her cozy office, I was

greeted by two comfortable chairs, set side by side with a small table in between. It was easy to

picture her and a student discussing problems and working on ways to manage stress. Brueckner

believed that “...the more creative we can be in therapy, the more successful the experience can

get and the more that it can expand the types of people who might be able to engage in…” She

mentioned that art therapy provides people with new ways of taking care of themselves, and can

help them communicate and express emotions about things that they may not be willing to

discuss in person.

Self-Expression is an intrinsic part of art and mental health. I noticed this when I

interviewed Max, an artist who requested to remain anonymous. They described how art allowed

them to “...[be] able to express feelings [that] I can’t [put into] words.” Art had a positive impact

on his mental health and well-being. Instead of keeping emotions bottled up and unexpressed,

Max was able to find a freedom in art and express how he felt. Another artist, Orange, mentioned

that he felt happy that he could represent himself in his artwork. He felt better when he made art

that he could relate to, and was able to express experiences that he wanted to share. According to
 2195488 6

The Creative Growth Book, Judith Scott found her own way of expressing herself, and “...that

she was focused on the invisible, wrapping objects to heal, repair, and mend…”(The Creative

Growth Book 99). Scott was both deaf and unable to speak, and showed her emotions and

thoughts through her work. She found her own art style and medium, and made beautiful

sculptures of ordinary objects covered in yarn and string. The Creative Growth Art Center is “...

the oldest and largest nonprofit art studio for artists with developmental, mental, and physical

disabilities…”(creativegrowth.org). The center is structured around helping artists express

themselves and have access to the mediums and space needed to experiment and explore

creativity.

Self-expression has also been a large part of my own relationship with artwork as well.

When I create, I can make the content that I want to see and make content that I relate to. From

doodles of artistic characters to making the stories that I want to see, it can be cathartic to draw

or paint a visualization of one’s emotions. As David Bayles described in his book, Art & Fear,

“...our most personal histories hold crystalline memories of absorption into evocative work...

Sometimes such moments are part of why we become artists…”(Bayles 53). Artists express their

lives through their work. Whether it be painting a representation of struggling with depression or

a sketch reminiscent of childhood adventures and experiences, artists use their experiences. It

resonates with their emotions and memories, and can reveal those experiences to a wider

audience.

How can this information help people? What can be done to help? While physical health

is often focused on in schools, the arts are not. School counselors could use these techniques to

help their students express their emotions in a way that would be non judgemental and non

confrontational. Viswanath mentions how “...The school takes care of only physical health and
 2195488 7

provides necessary physical exercise to children…. Learning environment is influenced by the

creativity of the students…”(Viswanath, K. Reddy and S. Reddy). If more schools focused on the

mental health and wellbeing of their students as much as the physical health, then the students

would have better mental health. Viswanath believes that creativity could be a step in the right

direction. If the students were more mentally healthy and creative, then they would do better in

their schoolwork.

When students have poor mental health or mental illnesses like depression, one of the

symptoms is a “...loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and activities…[and] difficulty

concentrating, remembering, [and] making decisions…”(ADAA). With more resources available

to them, these issues will be able to to be handled and dealt with instead of ignored. According to

the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, “Diagnoses of major depression have risen dramatically

by 33 percent since 2013. This rate is rising even faster among millennials (up 47 percent) and

adolescents (up 47 percent for boys and 65 percent for girls)...”(BCBS). With depression

affecting almost 4.4 million people in the US(BCBS), bringing awareness and creativity is more

important than ever. These people need options to help them cope with their mental illnesses,

and by making creativity and art therapy more accessible, they will have more options to turn to.

By bringing awareness about the benefits of creativity, more people will be able to use art to

assist in coping with their mental state.

Almost every artist I interviewed shared a similar story or concept. Creativity and

creating helps mental health because it provides people with an outlet for their emotions, and

allows them to just relax and enjoy the process of making something new. If we can bring more

awareness to art and its benefits, more people will be able to make use of creativity and help

their mental health.

 2195488 8

Before researching for this paper, I only had my own experiences to think on. I knew that

art helped my personal mental health, and helped me cope with stress, but I had no idea as to

whether this had any basis behind it. Making art has helped my mental health a substantial

amount in the past year. Without it, I would have been more stressed and overwhelmed. I would

have had no outlet, and bottled up my emotions until something went wrong. Instead, I was able

to express myself and be productive. I channelled my emotions into something positive, and this

led to so many more opportunities for friendship and healthiness. With creativity and artwork

came an online community of supportive people, who built a network of places to go to for

advice and assistance, no matter the subject matter or age. Art has helped me become a less

stressed and anxious person, and I want art to help others in the same way.

While I researched and talked to artists, I found that my experiences were common. I

found study after study, source after source. These resources should be available to others as

well. More artists should be able to know how their art can help them. More people deserve to

have it as an option of assistance.

Whether it be professional art therapy, a daily doodle, or a painting in the park, everyone

should have the opportunity to be creative and help their mental wellbeing. Art does not need to

be a masterpiece every time or be on the same level as the Mona Lisa. It can exist in any way the

artist desires, and help the artist’s mental state one work at a time. There need to be more sources

for people to turn to, and more information spread until it becomes common knowledge.
 2195488 9

Works Cited

Electronic Sources:

Abbott, Kayleigh A, et al. “Artistic Tasks Outperform Nonartistic Tasks for Stress

Reduction.” Journal of the American Art Therapy Association, vol. 30, no. 2, 2013, pp.

71–78., doi:https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/07421656.2013.787214.

“About Art Therapy.” American Art Therapy Association, arttherapy.org/about-art-

therapy/.

Brophy, Kate. “What Is Dopamine? Understanding the ‘Feel-Good Hormone.’”

University Health News, 18 Oct. 2018, universityhealthnews.com/daily/depression/what-

is-dopamine-understanding-the-feel-good-hormone/.

“Children and Teens.” Anxiety and Depression Association of America, ADAA, Anxiety

and Depression Association of America, ADAA, adaa.org/living-with-anxiety/children.

Griffiths, Sandra. “The Mental Health Benefits of Arts and Creativity For Young African

and Caribbean Men.” Mental Health Review Journal, vol. 10, no. 2, 2005, pp. 27–31.,

doi:10.1108/13619322200500017.

Martin, Lily et al. “Creative Arts Interventions for Stress Management and Prevention-A

Systematic Review” Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) vol. 8,2 28. 22 Feb. 2018,

doi:10.3390/bs8020028

Tiret, Holly, and Michigan State University Extension. “The Benefits Art Therapy Can Have on

Mental and Physical Health.” Michigan State University, Michigan State University |

College of Agriculture & Natural Resources, 25 May 2017,

 2195488 10

www.canr.msu.edu/news/the_benefits_art_therapy_can_have_on_mental_and_physical_

health.

Viswanath, K, et al. “Effect of Mental Health on Creativity.” Indian Journal of Health &

Wellbeing, vol. 6, no. 11, 2015, pp. 1109–1113.

Zaidel, Dahlia W. “Creativity, brain, and art: biological and neurological considerations”

“About.” Creative Growth Art Center, www.creativegrowth.org/about/.

Frontiers in human neuroscience vol. 8 389. 2 Jun. 2014, doi:10.3389/fnhum.2014.00389

“Major Depression: The Impact on Overall Health.” Blue Cross Blue Shield,

www.bcbs.com/the-health-of-america/reports/major-depression-the-impact-overall-

health.

“Stress.” NYU, www.nyu.edu/life/safety-health-wellness/live-well-nyu/priority-

areas/stress.html.

“Symptoms.” Anxiety and Depression Association of America, ADAA,

adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/generalized-anxiety-disorder-gad/symptoms.

“The History of Art Therapy.” Art Therapy Journal, www.arttherapyjournal.org/art-

therapy-history.html.

Literature Sources:

Bayles, David, and Ted Orland. Art & Fear: Observations on the Perils (and Rewards) of

Artmaking. Image Continuum Press, 1993.

Seiden, Don. Mind over Matter: the Uses of Materials in Art, Education and Therapy. Magnolia

Street Publishers, 2001.

The Creative Growth Book: from the Outside to the inside: Artists with Disabilities Today. Five
 2195488 11

Continents Editions, 2016.

Interviews:

Anonymous, Crab. Artist. Personal Interview. 26 February 2019.

Anonymous, Max. Artist. Personal Interview. 27 February 2019.

Anonymous, Orange. Artist. Personal Interview. 27 February 2019.

Brueckner, Shannon. Support Counselor. Personal Interview. 16 April 2019.

Works Consulted

Interviews:

Anonymous, Alyssum. Artist. Personal Interview. 26 February 2019.

Anonymous, Dirk. Artist. Personal Interview. 26 February 2019.

Anonymous, Fishy. Artist. Personal Interview. 26 February 2019.

Anonymous, Gilchrist. Artist. Personal Interview. 26 February 2019.

Anonymous, Owl. Artist. Personal Interview. 27 February 2019.

Anonymous, Pauline. Artist. Personal Interview. 26 February 2019.

Anonymous, Sam. Artist. Personal Interview. 26 February 2019.

Anonymous, Ternary. Writer. Personal Interview. 26 February 2019.

Anonymous, Vii. Artist. Personal Interview. 26 February 2019.