10 ways art can bring more joy to your life
Have you wondered if there is more to life than you’re experiencing at the moment?
Unfortunately, in a time where more and more things compete for our attention, fewer and fewer of those things bring us any real fulfillment.
In a time where we can travel the fastest and farthest, we hardly ever venture — even if just for a few steps — towards the vast space within ourselves.
In a time where most things are designed to give us safety, comfort, and convenience, more people suffer from anxiety, depression, and stress than ever.
We know first hand how art can help people find more joy in life, more fulfillment, and even heal them, and here are 10 reasons why it can do it for you too.
ABOUT DANNY GREGORY
Danny Gregory is a world-renowned artist, writer and international best-selling author. He has written nearly a dozen internationally best-selling books on art and creativity. He is the founder of Sketchbook Skool with tens of thousands of students worldwide. If you don’t know Danny, it only takes one email to feel you’re face to face, having a cup of coffee with an old friend you can trust.
Join Danny’s list and let him be your guide to explore and magnify your creative side.
Creativity makes you younger.
It certainly feels that way, but there’s science behind it too. When you are immersed in creating and discovering new things, your brain function better,
your hormones and chemicals are
regulated, your emotions are more stable and positive, your body even heals faster. You could even say that making art is cheap insurance.
Art is meditative.
When you draw, your chattering mind slows. Your focus narrows. You lose all sense of time. You enter the flow zone, that magical realm of intense creative output. When you emerge, you feel refreshed and renewed. The world looks different, better. The more you do it, the stronger and more long lasting the effect.
Find positivity and hope.
There’s a myth that artists are moody or live in a dream world. The truth is the opposite. Art making lets you focus on the Now and live in this beautiful moment. Instead of using your imagination to worry about all the bad things that could happen one day, put it to work discovering all the things that are beautiful right in front of you.
Artist: Gigi Chen
The joy of mastery.
A finished work of art is nice, but it’s nothing compared to the joy of making it. As you work on your art, you will develop a growing sense of competence. You’ll learn new tools, new techniques. You’ll make
things that astound yourself. You’ll realize the power that resides within you. You can do this. How else have you been undervaluing yourslelf?
Artist: Ian Sidaway
We are born artists.
Rather than learning art, we need to unlearn whatever made us stop making it. Humans are naturally creative. And art is what makes us human. We all have the amazing ability to imagine and then build what we dream up. This includes you, no matter your job or background. Embrace it.
Artist: Fabio Consoli
Creativity prepares us for change and “failure.”
Change is inevitable. It lets us see what truly is, to observe and respond. Creativity is all about experimenting. And most proper experiments fail at first. You adjust and try something else. Lose the fear of being wrong. Embrace acceptable risk. That’s how real progress is made — through blundering into the unknown.
Artist: Koosje Koene
Regain control.
Stress is elevated when we feel a loss of control. But art making gives you that control back. You have a blank sheet of paper and you can make anything you want. No rules. No limits. Of course, all that freedom can feel overwhelming. Just remember, there is no right or
wrong way to create. Just your way
Artists see differently. Better.
The universe has surrounded you with gifts. The langor of your cat on the windowsill. The signs of a well-lived life on your father’s face. The comfortable wrinkles on your favorite pair of shoes. The huddle of trash cans down a back alley. Start seeing like an artist and the world will brighten and transform.
Artist: Jill Weber
Rediscover analog.
We spend our days in virtual worlds, noses buried in screens. Give yourself the gift of a soft pencil on thick paper. The gentle blossoming of a puddle of watercolor. The tactile spring of a scratchy pen nib. Drop your mouse for half an hour and feel what you make.
Artists connect on a deeper level.
You can share what you are thinking, what you are feeling, simply by showing your art to a friend or posting it online. It’s also a great way to discover what other people think and feel, to explore the vast world of art making that’s out there. As you connect with other arts, you will have a growing sense of belonging, of identity and of shared goals.
ABOUT DANNY GREGORY
Danny Gregory is a world-renowned artist, writer and international best-selling author. He has written nearly a dozen books on art and creativity. He is the founder of Sketchbook Skool with tens of thousands of students worldwide. If you don’t know Danny, it only takes one email to feel you’re face to face, having a cup of coffee with a wise friend you can trust.
Join Danny’s list and let him be your guide to explore and magnify your creative side.
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