Art-making can reduce stress, even if you aren’t artistic

A new study by Philadelphia's Drexel University in the U.S. suggests making art can lower stress levels – regardless your artistic skill. According to the study, making arts, including drawing and clay making, for just 45 minutes – reduces levels of a hormone called cortisol, also known as the "stress hormone."

Adrenal glands, located above the kidneys produce cortisol. Stress response increases its levels. Therefore, the higher an individual’s levels of cortisol, the more strained they are.

Over the years a plethora of research has shown that exposure to any form of art is a good medicine for the mind. A 2010 review found that getting engaged in creative works such as writing, drawing, or making music, can lower anxiety and stress, and improve mood.

Girija Kaimal, Asst. Prof. of at Drexel University, and colleagues sought to get a better grasp of the biological mechanisms behind such findings.

For the simply study design, 39 adults aged 18 to 59 were recruited to take part in an art-making session that lasted 45 minutes. They were provided with art materials, such as marker pens, modeling clay, and paper, and were asked to create any form of art they desired.

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Around half of the adults reported little knowledge in creating art.

To measure the levels of cortisol, saliva samples of the participants were tested before and after the session.

The participants were also asked to complete questionnaires about their mindset before and after the art-making session.

The participants spent 45 minutes creating free-form of art without instructions. And when their art-session ended, the researchers were partly surprised by the findings of the study.

Among the participants, 75% had a decrease in cortisol levels, indicating a decrease in stress. The results remained even after researchers took into account participants' age, race and prior experience in art-making.

Asst. Prof. Kaimal said she wasn’t surprised because the central idea in art therapy is that everyone should be creative and expressive in visual arts when doing it in a supportive setting.

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However, she said she expected the effects to be stronger in the individuals with prior experience.

For the remaining 25%, levels of cortisol remained the same, or in some instances, increased slightly. Researchers note that the increase in cortisol may be due to the fact that cortisol is also required for functioning.

Our cortisol levels may fluctuate throughout the day, and the levels are greatest in the morning because we get energy boost at the day’s start. Art-making could’ve give the participants a state of arousal or engagement, Kaimal explains.

The team also found evidence that reduction in cortisol during art-making was more likely to occur in younger participants than their older counterparts.

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Kaimal explained the finding by saying that younger people are still identifying ways to manage stress and deal with day-to-day challenges, while older people – having had more life experience – may have found better ways to deal with stress.

Kaimal says one explanation for this finding might be that younger individuals are still trying to find ways to control stress and deal with it every day, while older people - with more life experience - may have discovered better ways to tackle the problem.

The study also had limitations. The biggest handicap was the lack of a control group. The findings would be more significant if the study was conducted with a group that sits in a room and does nothing for 45 minutes for comparison against the art-making group.

However, the team says their findings suggest making art may be an effectual way to reduce stress, and they plan to examine this link further in future studies.

The study was published in the journal Art Therapy.