Making Art Can Reduce Stress, According to Study

A new study has recently revealed that making art, regardless of the outcome, can reduce stress level. The researchers found that anyone could practically benefit from making art despite the belief that people with past artistic experiences are the only ones who can benefit from it.

According to Medical News Today, the study discovered that 45 minutes of creating art like making clay models or drawings can reduce the level of cortisol. Cortisol, often times known as the "stress hormone" is produced in the adrenal glands just above the kidney. The level of this hormone goes up in response to stress. Meaning that the higher levels of cortisol a person has, the more stressed they are.

For the study, Girija Kaimal, assistant professor of creative arts therapies at Drexel University in Philadelphia, PA, and colleagues set out to gain a better understanding of the biological mechanisms underlying such findings. They enlisted 40 adults between the ages 18 and 59 to make any kind of art. Samples of their saliva were tested before and after to measure the level of cortisol in the blood. Then, participants were asked to complete questionnaires about their pre- and post-art-making mindsets.

The group spent 45 minutes doing free-form art without instructions. They were simply handed clay, paper, markers, glue and scissors and told to do whatever they want with it, Forbes reported. The findings revealed that almost 75 percent of the subjects had lower cortisol levels after art making. The researchers looked for any correlation between the results and age, race before the art making experience and found that nothing stood out.

Kaimal says they were partly surprised by these results. "It wasn't surprising because that's the core idea in art therapy: everyone is creative and can be expressive in the visual arts when working in a supportive setting," she notes. "That said, I did expect that perhaps the effects would be stronger for those with prior experience."

The other 25%, cortisol levels stayed the same, but in some, the level had a slight increased. "For example, our cortisol levels vary throughout the day - levels are highest in the morning because that gives us an energy boost to us going at the start of the day," Kaimal explains. "It could've been that the art-making resulted in a state of arousal and/or engagement in the study's participants."

Medical Daily reported that the questionnaire results supported the cortisol findings for the majority of the group: People generally reported feeling more at ease and relaxed after making art, with an enhanced sense of perspective on their daily stresses.

Overall, the researchers say that the results suggest art-making may be an effective way to lower down stress, and Kaimal and her team plan to investigate this association further in future studies.

"We want to ultimately examine how creative pursuits could help with psychological well-being and, therefore, physiological health, as well," adds Kaimal.