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Photo credit Becky Demmen Sewell @TimeToBePhotography 2025

What is the point of art and creativity?

Some people would say it’s a waste of time, right? Here in the UK, politicians have been removing funding for arts education in schools at an alarming rate for some years. And if people think that artists contribute nothing to society, I wonder who they think creates the films they watch, the music they love listening to, and the videogames they love to play?

But there's more to it than economic output. Actively engaging with art - or rather, all The Arts; painting, dancing, writing, music, design, and more - and that includes watching them as well as doing them, is great for our minds, our bodies and our communities.

So, it won't surprise you to hear that it's my strong belief, in a nutshell, that Art Is Good For You. In fact, I believe that so much it’s what I called my podcast. 

I think we all know instinctively that it’s true that art is good for you, even if we’re not into it. Much the same as I know that exercise is good for me, even though you’d never get me to play - or even watch - 90 minutes of football. 

Any cynic will say to you “Ah, but there’s SCIENTIFIC PROOF that exercise is good for you. It builds muscle, strengthens your heart, makes you fit and strong! What does CREATIVITY do? Makes you feel like wearing lots of brightly coloured scarves and a floppy hat? It's POINTLESS” 

Well I’m here to tell you that we DO have hard evidence that art is good for you, physically as well as mentally, so read on and I will prove to you just how important creativity is for our bodies, minds and wider communities, in 8 easily digestible portions. 

As an arts & wellbeing practitioner delivering transformative arts classes, clubs and coaching in rural Norfolk, I see the daily physical, mental and social benefits making and experiencing art gives us with my very own eyes. But don't take it from me- there are people far better qualified who've reached the same conclusions using much more academic methods.

For example, Professor of Psychobiology and Epidemiology, Daisy Fancourt, and her team, have spent the last decade testing the biological impact of arts-specific initiatives (do read her brilliant book ‘Art Cure’).  My main takeaway from her work is that every active hour spent in the creative arts – and that includes just watching live performances, cinema or visiting art galleries*- ultimately saves the NHS an average of £5.  

I repeat: One hour= £5 saved.  

What's the link between arts and health?

Here are the 8 scientifically proven ways that art is good for you! If you're wondering 'how can I meet new friends?', 'how can I stay mentally sharp in old age?' or 'how can I feel happier?' this might just be the answer.

Arts engagement—whether active creation or passive consumption—provides significant mental, physical, and cognitive benefits.  

1. Engaging in the arts—like drawing, dancing, or listening to music—lowers cortisol and triggers the release of dopamine and endorphins, providing a natural remedy for anxiety and depression. 

2. Art therapy provides a non-verbal outlet, allowing individuals to process trauma and express difficult emotions when traditional language falls short. 

3. Multisensory art stimulation and creative activities trigger psychological and neurological pathways that have been shown to reduce perception of physical pain.  

4. Regular participation in the arts has been linked to lowered systemic inflammation, improved cardiovascular profiles, and reduced frailty. 

5. For older adults and individuals with neurodegenerative diseases, creative engagement helps tap into preserved memories, sharpen senses, and reduce agitation. 

6. Active arts participation builds neuroplasticity. It helps protect against cognitive decline and lowers the long-term risk of developing dementia. 

7. Performing arts, music, and crafts help maintain and rehabilitate fine motor skills and physical mobility. 

8. Group-based arts programs, such as choirs, theater troupes, or community workshops, foster social inclusion and dramatically reduce loneliness among older adults. 

Why should we care about art for health and wellbeing

• Mental health issues and social isolation are on the increase; specifically for younger people in deprived areas and older people in rural areas. 

• This impacts on their ability to engage with their communities and increases the strain on public services. 

• Art and creativity has been shown to help by measurably lowering stress hormones, easing chronic pain, delaying cognitive decline, and combatting loneliness.

• These are non-pharmacological interventions too, so better for the environment as well as for our bodies. 

• So I think we can safely agree that ART IS GOOD FOR YOU!  

How to get involved in art for health and wellbeing

If you want a piece of the action, just do it! My own Community Art Clubs run in South Norfolk, UK where people can drop in, make art and make friends, and my other classes and courses are listed on my website.  

But the important thing is- wherever you are, you don't have to take time out for a full art class to feel the health and wellbeing benefits of art - just take a moment to get creative- visit an art gallery, stop and watch a busker for ten minutes, write your life story, sing in the shower, dance around your kitchen, doodle on the back of an envelope- it's all incredibly good for you!  

*Watching TV doesn't count, according to Prof. Daisy. It puts you into a weird 'alert but unfocused' state that gives little or no benefit.

Stats summarised from publications by Norfolk Insight (local govt report) Age UK charity, UEA, and Healthwatch Suffolk, from 2025 & 2026, and Art Cure: The Science of How the Arts Transform our Health by Prof. Daisy Fancourt, 2026.