Importance of Art in Life
Art plays a crucial role in human expression and emotional well-being. It offers a means of communication beyond words, allowing people to explore their inner thoughts, feelings, and experiences.
The Global Impact of Mental Health Issues
About 5% of adults worldwide suffer from depression.
Mental and behavioral problems are responsible for 12% of the global disease burden.
The economic loss caused by mental health disorders is estimated to be USD 1.03 trillion between 2012 and 2030.
More than 55 million people worldwide suffer from dementia, with around 10 million new cases diagnosed every year.
Why Should Adults Do Art?
Stress and anxiety are at an all-time high. Over 50% of workers state that work stress affects their personal life at home. (Source)
Art offers a break from the chaos, giving adults an opportunity to relax, reflect, and re-energize.
The average person spends 7+ hours daily on screens, leading to mental fatigue and reduced attention span.(Source). Yet Video games & Passive entertainment dominate as leisure activities.
Unlike passive activities, creating art actively engages the brain, allowing adults to process emotions and experiences in a healthy, constructive way.
Cancer
A study by Bulfone et al. (2009) involving 60 adults undergoing chemotherapy found that after four sessions of individual art therapy, participants experienced significant reductions in depression and fatigue, as measured by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and a brief fatigue inventory.
Dementia
While art therapy does not reverse cognitive decline, it has been observed to improve the quality of life for patients with dementia. Engaging in art can stimulate brain areas involved in language processing and visuospatial perception, which are cognitive functions that decline in dementia patients.
Autism
​Art therapy has been found to promote sensory regulation, support psychomotor development, and facilitate communication in individuals with autism. Studies have shown that engaging in activities like painting and drawing allows for more comfortable self-expression than speech, leading to notable improvements in cognitive, social, and motor skills.
Studies indicate that Patients who received art therapy showed a significant decline in both positive and negative manifestations of schizophrenia compared to those who received standard care.
Why Adults Should Not Use Puzzles and Books for Children
While children’s puzzles and coloring books are designed for simpler cognitive tasks, adult brains require more challenging and sophisticated materials to truly benefit. Children’s art activities may not stimulate adult creativity or cognitive function adequately, leading to boredom or a lack of satisfaction.
Some studies have shown that focusing on the complex structure of your coloring page can help put your mind into a meditative state. Focusing on a singular action like coloring or solving a puzzle suspends your inner dialogue and removes negative thoughts and emotions from your mind.
