Studying Art is Life-Changing

The Benefits of Studying Art

Beginning as early as preschool, studying the arts provides young children with the ability to "combine all the senses and involve a variety of modalities including the kinesthetic, auditory, and visual" (Americans for the Arts, 2002). Regular practice provided by caregivers, such as teachers, can then help prepare preschool children with successful learning techniques.

Older, school-aged children only continue to reap the benefits of studying the arts as they grow. Creative expression provides children with stronger self-confidence, self-control, self-identity, empathy, social tolerance, skills of collaboration, and conflict resolution. Artistic endeavors also push children to have more motivation towards goals as they learn persistence, disciplined and sustained attention, as well as risk-taking. Children that learn the arts also have improved cognitive functions, with marked growth in spatial reasoning, conditional reasoning, problem-solving, and the skills associated with creative thinking (such as originality, flexibility, and elaboration.) Recent studies have even shown that students with continuous artistic study tend to achieve higher goals: They are more likely to study calculus, pursue a bachelor's degree, and aim to have a professional career in adulthood.

Adults, too, strongly benefit from indulging in a creative outlet. By studying art, and much like children whom dedicate time to a creative outlet, adults can see improved decision-making skills and self-confidence. Simply put, learning a new trade like drawing or painting forces the adult brain to keep stay sharp! If artistic study is as an art therapy, creative pursuits can even become a strong technique for combating stress by providing emotional awareness and relaxation.

Studying Art is Life-Changing

The Benefits of Studying Art

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