The Therapeutic Benefits of Artistic Painting to Human Health

Abstract

This qualitative studio-based research focuses attention on the health benefits of painting to human health especially emotion related issues. Painting is a branch of art in which both lines and colours are used as means of artistic communication. Unknown to many people, sometimes this communication goes beyond aesthetics to the realms of feelings and emotions which can positively or negatively affect the human health. This study looks into how painting can be channeled to serve as healing tools in human health and how it has been used in medicine to heal some emotional ailments like depression, stress, mental issues, Alzheimer diseases, dementia and also children with learning disabilities and behavioral issues. Unlike other forms of art, painting has the potentials not only to appeal to our sense of sight alone, but also to trigger feelings that sooth human emotions thereby enhancing good health which on the long run promote healthy society. Aside the various benefits of creative painting on human health, the paper also examines two broad ways through which we can use art generally to benefit us viz: taking painting as a hobby, occupation or purposely as means of occupational therapy and surrounding ourselves with paintings in our homes, offices and public places. The methods used for this research include literature review and studio experiments. The author proposes continued investigation into this relatively new subject matter and equally to further arouse interest in researching the possibilities of interdisciplinary collaboration between the arts and medicine.