艺术创作对你的健康有好处

艺术创作对你的健康有好处

Whether it's woodworking, sewing or sculpting teeny cupcakes out of bright purple clay, making art is good for your mind and body.

无论是木工、缝纫还是用亮紫色的粘土制作小纸杯蛋糕，艺术对你的身心都有好处。

The act of creation can reduce stress and anxiety and improve your mood, says Girija Kaimal, a professor at Drexel University and a leading researcher in art therapy. And flexing our creative side can give us a stronger sense of agency — the ability to solve problems by imagining possible solutions.

德雷克塞尔大学教授、艺术疗法领域的主要研究人员吉里贾·凯马尔说，创作的行为可以减轻压力和焦虑，改善情绪。发挥我们创造性的一面可以给我们一种更强的能动性——通过想象可能的解决方案来解决问题的能力。

Making art can also feel pretty awesome, she says. Engaging in any act of visual expression activates the reward pathway in your brain, "which is perceived as a pleasurable experience."

她说，创作艺术品也会让人感觉非常棒。参与任何视觉表达的行为都会激活你大脑中的奖励通路，“这被认为是一种愉快的经历。”

Artists say they often feel those positive vibes when they work. Trinidad Escobar, a Filipino American graphic novelist and poet based in Oakland, Calif., says that drawing "feels like a superpower." And Liana Finck, a cartoonist for The New Yorker, says sharing her art with an audience is "the most cathartic thing in the world."

艺术家们说，他们在工作时经常能感受到这些积极的氛围。特立尼达·埃斯科巴是一位居住在加州奥克兰的菲裔美国人，他是一名平面小说家和诗人。他说，画画“感觉像一种极大的力量”。《纽约客》的漫画家利亚娜·芬克说，与观众分享她的作品是“世界上最让人畅快的事情”。

But you don't have to be a full-time artist to get in on those health benefits, says Kaimal. All you need to do is just make art. And the more you do it, the better. Here are six things you need to know to kick-start your creative art habit.

但凯马尔说，你不必成为全职艺术家才能享受这些健康福利。你所需要做的就是创造艺术。你做得越多越好。这里有六件事你需要知道，以启动你的创意艺术习惯。

1.You don't need to be an artist with a capital "A"

你不需要成为一个极具天赋的艺术家

We tend to think that only people who are very skilled at art can call themselves artists, but really, anyone can be an artist, says Kaimal.

我们倾向于认为只有那些非常擅长艺术的人才能称自己为艺术家，但实际上，任何人都可以成为艺术家，凯马尔说。

"Everyone is capable of creative expression," she says. In fact, her own research has shown that there are no differences in health outcomes between those who identify as experienced artists and those who don't. So that means that no matter your skill level, you'll be able to feel all the good things that come with making art.

“每个人都有创造性表达的能力，”她说。事实上，她自己的研究表明，那些认为自己是有经验的艺术家和那些不认为自己是有经验的艺术家的人在健康状况上没有区别。这就意味着不管你的技术水平如何，你都能感受到艺术创作的美好。

2.Figure out your mode of creative expression

找出你的创意表达模式

Start with what you enjoy — maybe something you've done before, maybe something you loved as a kid. But keep an open mind.

从你喜欢的事情开始——也许是你以前做过的事情，也许是你小时候喜欢的事情。但要保持开放的心态。

3.Focus on the making, and let go of expectations

专注于创造，放弃期望

Once you have your art materials, here comes the fun part. Let yourself get lost in the process and just play. Because it's the physical act of making art, says Kaimal, that induces those feelings of stress relief and positive energy — not what you make or how you make it.

一旦你有了艺术材料，接下来就是有趣的部分。让自己迷失在这个过程中，尽情地玩耍。因为这是艺术创作的身体行为，凯马尔说，它会带来压力的缓解和正能量的感觉，而不是你做了什么或者你是如何做的。

4.Think about making art like any healthy habit, such as eating well or exercising

把艺术当成任何健康的习惯来对待，比如吃好或锻炼

Just as you make time to work, exercise and hang out with family and friends, you should make time for your artistic endeavors, says Strang. "Creativity in and of itself is important for remaining healthy — remaining connected to yourself and remaining connected to the world," she says.

斯特朗说，就像你有时间工作、锻炼、和家人朋友出去玩一样，你也应该为自己的艺术事业腾出时间。“创造力本身对于保持健康很重要——保持与自己的联系，保持与世界的联系，”她说。

5.Ride those waves of emotion

驾驭情绪的波动

The more you're able to make art a regular habit, the more you're likely to get this great reward.

你越能让艺术成为一种固定的习惯，你就越有可能得到这个巨大的奖励”。

6.Get yourself in the mood

让自己进入状态

Some days, you won't feel like making art. And that's OK, says Finck. As the author of several graphic novels, most recently Excuse Me: Cartoons, Complaints, and Notes to Self, she's used to juggling multiple projects.

有些时候，你不会想要创作艺术。芬克说，这没关系。作为几部漫画小说的作者，最近的作品是《对不起:漫画》、《抱怨》和《给自己的便条》，她已经习惯了同时处理多个项目。

"I get a lot of writer's block," she says. "It feels like stage fright when I sit down with a blank page."

她说:“我经常遇到写作障碍。”“当我坐下来面对一张白纸的时候，感觉就像怯场一样。”

To trick herself into drawing, Finck tells herself to think "that I'm just doodling," she says. "Then it flows freely."

为了欺骗自己去画画，芬克告诉自己去想“我只是在涂鸦，”她说。“然后就可以自由发挥了。”