The two hours when the phone stays in the bag
Making art is one of the simplest things you can do for your mental health, and you don’t need any talent to get the benefit.
I’ve watched it happen in our studio for more than 25 years. Someone walks in after a long day, shoulders up around their ears, checking their phone between strokes. Twenty minutes later the phone is face down. An hour later they look up and say, “Wait, it’s already 8?”
That moment is what this post is about. It isn’t magic. There’s real science behind it, and it’s available to anyone willing to pick up a pencil.
What the research says
Scientists have been measuring what art does to us, and the results line up with what we see in class.
Stress drops in under an hour. In a 2016 Drexel University study, 39 adults made art for 45 minutes while researchers measured cortisol, the body’s main stress hormone, before and after. Cortisol went down in 75% of participants. Just under half of them said they had little experience making art, and prior experience made no difference to the results. (Drexel University)
Making art changes the brain more than looking at it. A 2014 German study followed 28 newly retired adults for 10 weeks. Half took a hands-on art class; half studied art in a museum. Only the group that made art showed stronger connections between key brain regions, and those changes were linked to better psychological resilience, meaning how well people handle stress. (PLoS ONE)
The big picture. In 2019 the World Health Organization reviewed the evidence from more than 3,000 studies. It found the arts play a major role in preventing illness, promoting health, and supporting treatment across every stage of life. (WHO)
These are small studies, and research in this area is still growing. But the direction is clear, and it matches what thousands of our students have told us.
Why it works
From the easel, here’s what I think is going on.
- Your attention has one job. You can’t draw an eye while replaying a bad meeting. Looking closely at a shape, a shadow, or a color takes up the space worry usually fills. Psychologists call this state “flow.” Our students just call it losing track of time.
- You slow down. Drawing from life asks you to really look. Most of us spend all day skimming screens. An evening of patient observation is a reset for a busy mind.
- Progress is visible. Life rarely shows you clear proof that you’re getting better. A sketchbook does. Comparing your first drawing to your tenth is a quiet, real boost.
- Mistakes are part of the process. In our classes we don’t call a drawing good or bad. We talk about what’s working and what’s not working yet. That small shift makes it safe to try, adjust, and try again, a habit worth having well beyond the studio.
- You’re not doing it alone. A room full of people working side by side, quietly sharing a craft, is its own kind of medicine. For a lot of people, the community ends up mattering as much as the art.
“But I can’t even draw a stick figure”
Good news: the benefits don’t depend on talent. Remember the Drexel study? Beginners got the same stress relief as people with experience.
The most common reason people tell us they don’t sign up is fear of being judged. I understand it. But nobody in our studio is grading you. Most of our students started as complete beginners, and every one of them had a first awkward drawing.
The goal isn’t a masterpiece. The goal is two hours where your mind gets to rest by working on something with your hands.
How to start this week
You don’t need a studio or expensive supplies to begin.
- Start small. A pencil and a cheap sketchbook are enough. Ten to fifteen minutes counts.
- Draw what’s in front of you. A coffee mug, your shoe, a houseplant. Real objects train you to look, and looking is the calming part.
- Put the phone in another room. Even short sessions work better without interruptions.
- Make it a habit, not an event. The same time two or three days a week builds the routine that does the most good.
- Keep everything. Date your drawings. In a month, flip back to the first page. You’ll be surprised.
- Find some company. A class gives you structure, guidance, and people who are on the same path.
Come make something with us
At Raminfard School of Arts, we’ve taught more than 7,500 students since 2000, most of them adults who started from zero. Our classes in drawing, oil, acrylic, charcoal, pastel, and more are built for exactly the person who thinks, “I’m not an artist.”
If you’ve been looking for a way to quiet your mind a little, come try a class. Bring nothing but curiosity. We’ll handle the rest.
A note: making art is a wonderful support for well-being, but it isn’t a replacement for professional mental health care. If you’re struggling, please reach out to a doctor or therapist. In the U.S., you can call or text 988 any time to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
Sources
- Kaimal, Ray & Muniz, “Reduction of Cortisol Levels and Participants’ Responses Following Art Making,” Art Therapy, 2016 — Drexel University summary
- Bolwerk et al., “How Art Changes Your Brain,” PLoS ONE, 2014 — abstract
- Fancourt & Finn, “What is the evidence on the role of the arts in improving health and well-being?” World Health Organization, 2019 — report