As we move vibrantly into the year 2023, we are still striving to empower ourselves through self-expression in the arts. The goals of learning self-expression in the arts can have significant rewards for your lifestyle, and your brain.
In the month of February, we are focusing on the color "Dark Orchid"...
The way we understand color has a lot to do with how our brain perceives color, according to verywellmind.com, in an article by Kendra Cherry.
"Additional factors that can contribute to how a person perceives a color is its hue, its level of saturation or purity, and how bright or dull it is."(verywellmind.com)
In the article, Cherry goes on to define that throughout history the color purple has meant a position of power, divinity, or royalty in history. With this status, the color purple is full of many emotional connections from rulers to kings and queens of society.
We define color as having an emotional response for viewers and this reaction happens in the brain.
"Some of the symbolic meanings and associations with the color purple include:
Creativity
Emotionality
Enlightenment
Femininity
Imagination
Inspiration
Mystery
Rarity
Royalty
Spirituality"
In another article, "Feeling Artsy? Here's How Making Art Helps Your Brain", by Malaka Gharib, the most important mental health tools we need come from becoming creative and artistic in our lives. Gharib quotes,
"'Anything that engages your creative mind — the ability to make connections between unrelated things and imagine new ways to communicate — is good for you,'" says Girija Kaimal.'"
With the color purple, and many other activities in our sessions we focus on creating themes, making our mental health tools evident, and creating an environment that allows the most important brain activity to happen.
In our brains parts that become active when we participate in creative tools, and practicing art, create an atmosphere that relieves stress, is comforting, can help a person to focus, and to practice these feelings, the benefits last longer than the session.
The benefits of experiencing the art-making process in your brain, according to the article is a good way to access your tools; "It activates the reward center of our brain, It lowers stress, It lets you focus deeply, Process your emotions", and become creative. (Gharib)
Painting Feb 2023
Our new session at My Voice Media Center focuses on how this relationship between the simple parts of art-making, colors, and shapes, affects us emotionally.
How do colors and shapes help us feel wellness and recovery?
How can we use these tools in our art box just like the tools in our mental health toolbox?
Drawing Feb 2023
Our focus in the new session, "Art and Feelings", and our other sessions as well, is to allow participants to explore how they feel and create art accordingly. By creating a mood board of our emotions in our minds we are able to express ourselves in art sessions.
CASA Kid Art Night Jan 2023
In other sessions at My Voice Media Center, we also focus on artistic expression including all of the tools the brain needs for healthy practices...visit us to find out more!
Art and Feelings Feb 2023
Works Cited:
"Feeling Artsy? Here's How Making Art Helps Your Brain", by Malaka Gharib; https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/01/11/795010044/feeling-artsy-heres-how-making-art-helps-your-brain
"Purple Color Meaning and Psychology What Does the Color Purple Mean?"; By Kendra Cherry ; Updated on August 10, 2022; verywellmind.com; https://www.verywellmind.com/the-color-psychology-of-purple-2795820#:~:text=Several%20factors%20affect%20how%20the%20brain%20perceives%20the,purity%2C%20and%20how%20bright%20or%20dull%20it%20is.
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