Alan Stinson, a recent graduate of the JobTrain Construction Fundamentals Pre-Apprentice Training Program in Redwood City, CA, has held several positions throughout his career. Throughout these changes in his professional life, Alan Stinson of Redwood City, CA has maintained a passion and talent for art. For him, art has always been a source of happiness.

Numerous studies have found a correlation between creating art and boosting mood and happiness. This is likely due to art’s ability to distract the brain. Many people have about 60,000 thoughts every day, but art is capable of distracting people from these thoughts. When creating art, people must pay close attention to their environment and the detail of their work, thus leaving little room in the mind to get caught up in negative thoughts and concerns about the day. As a result, people who enjoy art are often less stressed.

Aside from relieving stress, creating art promotes creative thinking because it allows people to come up with unique solutions to various problems. Out-of-the-box thinking promotes the growth of new neurons in the brain and allows individuals to enjoy more creative thoughts in other areas of their lives. This growth prevents brain cell death and is one of the reasons why art and art therapy is effective at delaying cognitive decline among adults who are over the age of 70.

Finally, art improves self-esteem among artists. No matter what type of art someone completes, the very act of completing it releases dopamine in the brain. This motivates people to continue creating and helps them feel a sense of accomplishment whenever they finish a new piece. Such increases in dopamine are tied to any creative hobby, including sewing, photography, and gardening.