Why Art Is Still Important As A Grown-Up
Remember when you got your first box of 64 crayons? You may have been 5 or 6 years old, and dazzled by the colors and choices. You read the name of every crayon – orchid, macaroni and cheese, forest green and sky blue. Your mind was transported to another place and time, and your hands drew the picture you could see so vividly.
Now, there is a box of 96 crayons, as well as colored pencils, sparkly neon accent pens, and paint that can be mixed and twirled into every imaginable color. But making time for art is usually not a priority for most adults. Here are four reasons why you should make time each week to let your creative side go!
1. Creativity is a stress reliever. When we focus on an activity we enjoy, our imagination takes us back to the “64 crayon box”, and we stop focusing on our worries. Our lips start turning up in a smile, the forehead wrinkles start loosening, and the tension in our shoulders starts drifting away.
2. Coloring or painting trains the brain to focus. As we move forward in our lives, more demands become a part of our daily world. You may be juggling work and kids and extracurricular activities; you may work late every day and can’t figure out how to get all the household chores done and dinner on the table at a decent hour. You may be a caregiver for your adult parent. We start losing our ability to concentrate and accomplish priorities when we’re always on the run. Taking time to be artsy allows us to exercise our focus while having fun; and if life is that demanding, you need it!
3. Creativity allows you to be you. Who cares if you painted your flowers in an abstract art form, or if you decided to color your pig blue instead of pink? If it makes you feel good, you just got a bonus! Embracing your uniqueness also builds your self-confidence – your unique self is indeed okay.
4. You’re on a budget. Letting your creative side flow equals inexpensive home decorating and gifts. Not sure what to do? Choose a painting from our library and register for an event – you will have a real artist guide you. Or, jump on Pinterest for lots of other ideas.
Just pick a color, any color (or a few) and enjoy the benefits of expressing yourself through art again.