What art and museums are for
Art and museums can help mental health and wellbeing in lots of ways.
Showing how you feel
Making art, such as painting, drawing, sculpting, or other ways, can help you show how you are feeling and let your feelings out. It can also help you work out what is going on for you.
Mindfulness and Relaxation
Looking at art and objects in galleries or museums can help you be in the present moment and to b more mindful. This can help you feel more relaxed and less stressed.
Making connections
Museums and galleries often have artworks from different cultures and histories. Looking at these can give you a feeling of connection to your own cultural identity or give you more understanding for others. Art can bring about strong feelings. This could be happiness, sadness, or being amazed. Experiencing different feelings can be good for wellbeing.
Meeting other people
Museums are places where people can get together and share experiences. Being with other people is good for mental health.
Education and learning
Looking at art is good for your brain, it is something different. Having new experiences can help you to be more flexible in the way you think which can be good for wellbeing.
Hope
Experiencing beauty in art can lift your mood and give you hope.
Art therapy
Some museums offer art therapy programmes. These are led by trained professionals.
Reducing Isolation
If you are struggling with being lonely, going to a gallery or museums can be good as they bringing people together who have similar interests.
'Cultural attendance provides a distinct stimulus to human beings that has an impact on their wellbeing to such a degree that it prolongs their lives.'
Recent scientific survey by Glasgow Life, called Cultural attendance and public mental health.
Video
Watch this short video about what is art for.
'Aristotle thought that art was a way to find an echo of our deepest and most complex sorrows in the work of art so as to produce fear and pity, but also compassion and feelings of empathy. That's hopefully what art should be for, to help us to live and to die.'
Alain de Botton
Videos
The following video is about why we have museums.
How could visiting an art gallery or museum help you?
- Reduce feelings of stress or anxiety.
- Develop your ability to think creatively.
- Provide a distraction.
- Connect with other people.
- Find meaning in your life.
- Feel involved and valued.