Learning or practicing art has many benefits. Here are the top fifteen reasons adults should take an art class.
1. Be a Lifelong Learner
Learning is a critical component of cognitive health, and in the process, you may uncover hidden passions you did not even know you had.
2. Flex Your Creativity
If you work in a highly analytical environment, art class is an excellent way to exercise creativity.
3. Express Yourself
Creative expression helps regulate emotions and may bring a sense of order to your life.
4. Explore, Experiment, or Play
Make a mess, experiment with new techniques, or enhance your open-mindedness.
5. Build Your Confidence
If it is something you've never done before and you achieve it, you may surprise yourself. Confidence inspires us to step outside of our comfort zone and keep practicing even when we don't see immediate results.
6. Silence Your Inner Critic
Our inner voice can stop us before we begin. Sketching, drawing, or painting is not an ability you're born with. It is a skill that anyone may learn with some basic instruction, practice, and a supportive community. The studio is a place to play without judgment where we can take risks, learn from our mistakes, or be open to other possibilities.
7. Community & Camaraderie
You may meet others with common interests. Also, the support of fellow classmates may be the push you need to persevere.
8. Find Inspiration
Find your tribe or surround yourself with other creative types who will inspire you.
9. Self Development
Building new skills may become a source of Inspiration, reflection, or personal growth.
10. Get Out of Your Own Head
When you learn under the guidance of an instructor, they serve as a sounding board and may help you solve a problem or get unstuck.
11. Exercise Your Brain
Enhance your motor skills, hand-eye coordination, problem-solving, lateral thinking, complex analysis, or critical thinking skills.
12. Relieve Stress
It's important to remember to take some time for yourself. A recent study found that 45 minutes of creative activity significantly lessens the Stress in your body, regardless of your artistic skill set.1
13. Gain a New Perspective
Art can help you better understand yourself and empathize with others. Creating art encourages you to become more observant and mindful of your surroundings.
14. Challenge Yourself
Completing an art project in class provides a great sense of achievement. This may help build your self-esteem, particularly if you're proud of the final product.
15. Art Appreciation
The Visual arts are a fundamental component of the human experience that reflects the world around us. It helps us understand our history, culture, lives, and the experiences of others in a manner that cannot be achieved through other means.2
References:
1. Frank, Priscilla. (2016, June 16) "Study Says Making Art Reduces Stress, Even If You Kind Of Suck At It, HuffPost.
2. Smithsonian. (2017, July 25) "The Importance of Visual Art," Retrieved from National Museum of African American History and Culture.
