Online community of artists, Art2Arts is encouraging the general public to explore art and other creative practices in order to reduce stress and improve mental wellbeing. The peer to peer online art gallery urges anyone who has never created or appreciated art to do so, following on from results of a recent report.
Published in May, an issue of Art Therapy: Journal of the American Art Therapy Association focussed on the reduction of the stress hormone ‘cortisol’ on participants, following on from art making activities. Girija Kaimal, EdD. Assistant Professor of Creative Arts Therapies at Drexel University conducted the study to find interesting results. Even with little previous artistic experience or creative talent, Kaimal found that just 45 minutes of creative activity dramatically reduced the levels of cortisol within those that took part in the study.
Michelle Gibbs, Director at Art2Arts, commented “I first opened up Art2Arts because I am an artist and I wanted somewhere to sell my work, so I am certainly aware of the great therapeutic effects that picking up a paintbrush and creating something new for a few minutes can have. This study from the Journal of the American Art Therapy Association further backs up this point, using scientific proof to leverage the statement.”
Gibbs continued, “Many people who are not surrounded by artistic peers can find the notion of creating art to be quite intimidating, but I hope that this study will encourage anyone who is looking for a new way to relax and unwind to pick up a paintbrush and get to work! For those that are totally new to the scene, the different ways of working and methods of creating pieces of art, I encourage them to head to my online art gallery to browse the selection of original work that is out there to get their creative juices flowing.”
Art2Arts has been serving as a platform to help artists sell their work directly to buyers for ten years and it is always encouraging more talented, original artists to join their online community. Using this innovative peer to peer sales method artists are able to sell their work at affordable prices, opening up the world of art to anyone who wishes to own a unique piece, rather than only the privileged few.
