Value of Art in Supporting Positive Mental Health
Value of Art in Supporting Positive Mental Health
Art can be a powerful ally for positive mental health, offering space to express feelings, connect with others, and find moments of calm in busy or stressful lives. Whether you are sketching at your kitchen table, joining a local workshop, or visiting a gallery such as The Biscuit Factory in Newcastle, creative experiences can support wellbeing in accessible, enjoyable ways.[1][2][3][4]
Why creativity supports mental health
Engaging with the arts stimulates parts of the brain linked to emotion, reward, and memory, which can help people process experiences that may be hard to put into words. Research suggests that adults who take part in arts and cultural activities tend to report better mental health, higher life satisfaction, and a stronger sense that life is worthwhile.[5][3][4]
Creative activity can also act as a healthy distraction from worry, giving the mind something absorbing and meaningful to focus on. Studies in clinical settings have found that art-based interventions can reduce symptoms in conditions such as depression and schizophrenia and can increase emotional awareness and self-esteem. Even outside formal therapy, simple, regular creative habits—drawing, crafting, painting, or photography—can help people feel more relaxed and more in control of their emotions.[3][4][6]
Attending art workshops
Structured workshops offer a friendly, low-pressure way to try something new while benefiting from social contact and expert guidance. In a group environment, participants often find reassurance in discovering that others share similar challenges, which can reduce feelings of isolation and boost confidence.[7][4][1]
The Biscuit Factory in Newcastle hosts artist-led workshops covering skills such as painting, ceramics, needlework, and creative writing. Learning alongside others, with a clear activity to focus on, can make social interaction feel easier and more purposeful, which is especially helpful for people who feel anxious in purely social settings. Workshops that emphasize process over perfection allow participants to experiment, make mistakes, and play—important ingredients for psychological flexibility and resilience.[2][4][1][7][3]
Joining regular art classes
Regular classes introduce rhythm and routine, which can be particularly supportive when someone is struggling with mood or motivation. Having a weekly session to attend can break up long periods at home, give structure to days, and provide something positive to anticipate.[5][3]
Over time, building skills in drawing, printmaking, or other crafts can enhance self-efficacy—the belief that one can learn, improve, and overcome challenges. This sense of competence often transfers into other areas of life, helping people feel more capable of managing work, relationships, or health difficulties. Many community art classes also foster informal peer support, where encouragement and shared enjoyment become just as valuable as the artwork itself.[4][6][3][5]
Visiting galleries and creative spaces
Art does not need to be hands-on to be beneficial; simply viewing and reflecting on artwork can shift mood and broaden perspective. Galleries offer time away from everyday demands, where people can slow down, look closely, and feel absorbed by colour, texture, and story.[6][2]
The Biscuit Factory is an independent art gallery in Newcastle that presents a changing programme of contemporary art and craft, with free entry and a relaxed, welcoming atmosphere. Its spaces are designed as places to pause and reflect, with a rooftop café and seating areas that encourage visitors to linger, meet friends, or enjoy quiet time alone. Being in an environment dedicated to creativity can help people reconnect with curiosity and inspiration, important antidotes to the emotional flatness that often accompanies low mood.[8][2][6][5]
Community, connection, and inclusion
Community-based art venues help make creativity part of everyday life rather than something reserved for professionals. The Biscuit Factory Foundation, for example, aims to nurture and develop the visual arts in the North East through workshops, exhibitions, public art and opportunities for local artists, including young people. These initiatives offer ways for residents to participate, whether as makers, visitors, or volunteers, strengthening a shared sense of identity and pride.[9][10]
Social connection is a key protective factor for mental health, and taking part in local art activities can help people build new relationships around shared interests. For someone who finds traditional social situations difficult, a gallery tour, a life-drawing class or a ceramics workshop provides a ready-made topic of conversation and a gentle structure for interaction. Over time, these small encounters can grow into friendships and informal support networks that support wellbeing far beyond the art itself.[1][2][4][5]
Everyday ways to use art for wellbeing
You do not need special talent or equipment to use art as part of your self-care. A simple approach might include:
• Keeping a small sketchbook or notebook where you doodle, collage, or write for ten minutes a day, especially when emotions feel difficult to express aloud.[3][4]
• Visiting a local gallery such as The Biscuit Factory for an hour, walking slowly through one floor and noticing which pieces you are drawn to and why.[2]
• Booking an occasional workshop—perhaps in a new medium like ceramics or printmaking—to re-energise creativity and meet new people in a supportive setting.[7][1]
• Combining art with nature by sketching in a park, photographing interesting textures, or collecting colours and shapes for later inspiration.[6][5]
By treating creative activities not as luxuries but as regular elements of life—like a walk or a chat with a friend—you can create ongoing opportunities for reflection, pleasure, and connection that support positive mental health. If you were to spend a morning at a venue like The Biscuit Factory, taking in the exhibitions, joining a workshop, and relaxing in the café, you would be weaving together many of these benefits: expression, community, and restorative time in a dedicated creative space.[9][1][2]
References
1. https://www.thebiscuitfactory.com/pages/creative-workshops-newcastle
2. https://www.thebiscuitfactory.com
3. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9472646/
4. https://www.psychiatry.org/news-room/apa-blogs/creative-arts-enhancing-mental-health
5. https://sbbresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/SBB-Evidence-Brief-Arts-and-mental-health.pdf
6. https://www.psychiatry.org/news-room/apa-blogs/healing-through-art
7. https://www.highlifenorth.com/events/wellness-workshop-a-summer-social-the-biscuit-factory
8. https://www.informationnow.org.uk/article/galleries/
9. https://www.thebiscuitfactoryfoundation.org
10. https://www.thebiscuitfactoryfoundation.org/about-us.html
11. https://www.facebook.com/NewcastleHospitalsCharity/photos/were-excited-to-share-that-on-6th-february-2026-one-of-the-largest-charity-art-e/1218769587063319/
12. https://www.instagram.com/p/C3zWgILoCkk/
13. https://whatsonreading.com/venues/reading-biscuit-factory/activities-classes
14. https://www.thebiscuitfactory.com/collections/childrens-workshops
15. https://www.venuedirectory.com/united-kingdom/top-meeting-rooms-in/newcastle-upon-tyne/the-biscuit-factory/30869