As far back in the ancient Greeks’ era, iconic figures such as Plato have long recognized the inherent value of studying visual art. This art form can range from painting, drawing, sculpting, filmmaking, and photography to architecture. The visual arts, including sculptures to paintings, were integral to Greek society and have remained to this day — especially in education.
Although many people embrace studying the arts today, they have often underfunded in the past with educational facilities focusing on math, science, and language arts. However, it’s gaining a resurgence in support as numerous research shows its many benefits for young minds.
Whether you’re a young professional wanting to pursue a career in visual arts as a professional wedding videographer or a graphic designer, here are benefits you can enjoy when taking visual art classes.
Confidence Booster
Students participating in visual art classes can enjoy the benefit of becoming gradually more confident. That’s because the anticipation of completing whatever art form you’re working on and sharing them with peers can instill a sense of ‘pride’ in the artist. Plus, visual art doesn’t have any right or wrong answer, encouraging more students to talk about their artwork and explain the stories behind them, boosting confidence and communication skills.
This factor can be useful in several ways in the working environment. For instance, being confident can help you communicate with customers and peers more efficiently.
It Enhances Decision-Making Skills
Taking visual arts classes promotes better decision-making skills as people often go through a stream-of-consciousness period at the start of a project, then go back to make strategic decisions. This process encourages you to revise ideas until you get the result you wanted, polishing your decision-making skills as you begin to see how each decision can impact the creative process.
After all, visual art is equal parts problem-solving and creation. These allow you to be more strategic in your decision making, enabling you to navigate through different issues at work with ease — helping you make better decisions.
It Makes You ‘Stress Resistant’
When you engage in a new activity, which in this case, is participating in visual art classes, your brain will create new connections between your neurons (brain cells). This process is called ‘neuroplasticity,’ which can help increase your psychological and emotional resilience, greatly reducing stress and resistance. This factor can significantly benefit young professionals as it gives them a natural way to fight stress, allowing them to function better at work.
Enhances Mental Health
Engaging in visual arts is rapidly growing as a fun natural alternative to improving your well-being. Doing this helps you deal with several mental health conditions, including anxiety and depression, or any psychological distress you may have. The best part about this is that it can help improve your mental health through fun creativity, allowing you to express yourself indefinitely.
It Gives You More Job Opportunities
Since there are now more people appreciating visual arts, you now have a numerous list of career options to choose from, including visual arts of film, media, graphic designs, and architecture. Take advantage of these opportunities and show off your skills to consumers willing to pay for an appealing and unique design to build your profile and income.
Although you can’t measure the benefits of visual arts education through a standardized test, it’s clear that they’re significant and can help mold young professionals into their fullest potential. From improving confidence, helping cope with mental health struggles to gaining more career opportunities — the societal gains visual arts offer are limitless.
