It’s surprising how elders in the grips of dementia can suddenly belt out a song or pick up a paintbrush and create something stunning. The power of art on the health of the brain is truly amazing.

Creating art at any age keeps your brain learning and building new neural pathways that will serve you well later in life. It doesn’t matter how talented you are in the eyes of other people. The joy is in the process itself, rather than just the finished project.

Along the way, you will improve your memory, communication skills (by linking your right and left brain hemispheres), problem-solving, and ability to rebound from mistakes. You will be creating new skills and memories that will pay off as you age. Long after people forget the names of their loved ones, they can still remember a song from their youth or a beloved painting that hung in their home.

Art as Preventative Medicine

Getting lost in an art project is a great distraction from the stresses of the outside world. It allows you to dive deep into your unconscious as you take a blank page, a raw block of wood, or a tangle of fabric scraps and turn them into something that speaks to you. During that process, you may relax enough to sort through some emotional turmoil and come to peace with yourself and your decisions. Letting your brain wander as your hands work away is extremely therapeutic.

While your mind is busy working away, time flies by and you may let go of some of the thoughts that have been weighing you down. That stress relief has proven to be restorative for people dealing with depression, cancer, Alzheimer’s Disease, anxiety, and other ailments. Face it, having fun can be a cure, even temporarily, from your troubles.

For people facing dark demons, or even their mortality, the creative process helps them to express their emotions in a way that feels safer than speaking them aloud. You may be surprised what turns up when you write in a journal or begin sketching based on a childhood memory. Let things flow and see what comes up from below the surface.

Family members may enjoy your memoirs as they capture moments in history. Sharing your gifts is the second stage in the process, after enjoying the act of creating them in the first place. While enjoying art is also soothing, making it generates more mental resilience that will reward you as you age.

Art therapy classes are available via various agencies, with some designed specifically for memory loss or sexual assault survivors. Even if you cannot find a perfect fit, you can always do a community-based class or simply work on your projects at home. Regardless of where you discover your talents, have fun as you explore and learn.

Reference: https://www.health.harvard.edu/mental-health/the-healing-power-of-art