Studies suggest that art therapy can be very valuable in treating issues such as depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and even some phobias. It is a great way to express your emotions without words, process complex feelings and find relief.
Why does a melancholy mood turn us into a better artist? The answer returns us to the intertwined nature of emotion and cognition. It turns out that states of sadness make us more attentive and detail oriented, more focused on the felt collage.
Although major depression and bipolar disorder are associated with creativity, evidence does not indicate that having a mood disorder enhances an individual's artistic ability.
Drawing is a skill and like with any other skill, you can't expect to get better without practicing it. So many people think that drawing is just something that some people can do and others can't. This simply is not true. Anyone can draw, but you have to want it enough to practice it.
Artists are both born and taught, says Nancy Locke, associate professor of art history at Penn State. "There is no question in my mind that artists are born," says Locke. Many artists arrive in the world brimming with passion and natural creativity and become artists after trying other vocations.
Science has proved the mad genius is not a myth. Studies of artists and writers collated in Scientific American confirm that artists and writers are up to 20 times more likely to suffer from bipolar disorder (also called manic depressive illness) and 10 times more likely to suffer from depression.
Art builds grounding and coping skills by photographing pleasant objects. It can help tell the story of trauma by creating a graphic timeline. Through methods like these, integrating art into therapy addresses a person's whole experience. This is critical with PTSD.
There is a positive connection between art and mental health—artistic activities such as sculpting, painting, or drawing are known to lower stress levels and promote mental calmness. Creating art takes your mind off of your everyday life and provides a relaxing distraction.
You do not have to draw everyday for the rest of your life, but you can periodically set goals to draw everyday for the short term. Daily drawing challenges can be an effective way to improve your art. For example, Inktober is a short term challenge to work on improving your linework.
Another way to make yourself cry is to reflect on past experiences in which you were memorably sad: breakups, deaths of loved ones, or times you felt betrayed or hurt by someone close to you. Or try imagining scenarios, hypothetical or otherwise, that would make you very, very sad.
There's no research to suggest that innate artistic abilities are tied to ADHD. In other words, having ADHD doesn't make you an especially talented musician or painter. But some experts think there are aspects of ADHD that might play a role in thriving creatively. People with ADHD are often risk-takers.
Because you are experimenting
If for example you've gone from drawing in great detail to very loose or you've changed your style, your work may look worse because you haven't yet mastered that look. It's important to keep stretching yourself in this way otherwise in the long term your work will remain stagnant.
Drawing and coloring can distract you from the unwanted thoughts associated with anxiety. Anxiety often involves rumination, otherwise known as repetitive looping thoughts. It sometimes seems as if fixating on the same worries can help you find a solution for them.
Probably the most popular example of the "mad artist" stereotype was none other than famously talented painter Vincent van Gogh. "I put my heart and my soul into my work, and lost my mind in the process," he once said. Van Gogh was said to have suffered from depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder.
Well, we know that 'Creative Anxiety' is a real thing, and it is quite common amongst the creative industries. It describes the feeling of being creatively blocked or feeling anxious or depressed from the weight of working in an industry that demands near-perfection and puts the inner-self on display for critique.
Bipolar I disorder.
You've had at least one manic episode that may be preceded or followed by hypomanic or major depressive episodes. In some cases, mania may trigger a break from reality (psychosis).
The Talented Artist Myth
Some people believe that the heavens above gift precious few mere mortals with the talent of art. However, that is most definitely not the case. Art, like anything else, is a skill. It is a muscle that you exercise and develop.
Despite the stigma surrounding art majors, an art degree can be an excellent opportunity to develop and hone the studio skills necessary to forge a career as a professional artist. Both the environment and length of the program allow students to learn relevant tools and surround themselves with like-minded individuals.
Drawing is tiring because it requires intense levels of focused concentration. Each drawing is a puzzle. It involves extreme hand and eye coordination, advanced spatial awareness, and the ability to see and render fine detail. The process exhausts the mind.
Yet, drawing skilfully is a rare skill indeed.
It takes hours of dedicated practice, patience and passion to be able to achieve remarkable results.
There's no age limit on the learning process, given good health. The theory side is straightforward and everyone learns how to draw using the same methods. It's a new skill and you can learn it. You can progress and get better at drawing.