“I don’t say everything, but I paint everything.” — Pablo Picasso

Since I mentioned my passion for writing last week, I figured it was only appropriate to talk about art this week.

Art has always played a significant role in my life. It’s my stress reliever and my solace. Creating something is when I’m most content. And, not only do I believe it, but many studies have also said that expressing through art can be one of the most powerful ways to communicate.

It’s been proven that every individual thinks and interprets things differently, but art can reach an audience in a way that allows them to think about and understand what’s being said for themselves.

Art can be used when thoughts or feelings are greater than what can be explained by words.

Studies have shown that art can help people with depression, anxiety, and stress. It also is linked to improved memory, reasoning, and resilience.

But the best part about it all is that art is so widespread that there is something for everyone to enjoy, whether it’s painting, dancing, creating music, cooking, photography, fashion, woodworking, or something else entirely.

It’s more about how it’s made and what it means than the end product itself.

That, I think, is the beauty of it all.

Because you don’t have to be an artist like some of the greats — Michelangelo, Picasso, da Vinci, Warhol, etc. — to enjoy doing it and to let it make an impact on your life.

I’ve never personally considered myself an artist. Occasionally, I share my work, but, more than anything, it’s how I vent and how I reason with things I don’t always understand. It’s also how I express myself and how I see the world around me.

Because of the effects art can have, it has been established as a powerful tool for self-care and mental health.

For example, studies have shown that just 20 minutes a day drawing, doodling, coloring, and simply creating something can reduce levels of cortisol, which plays a major role in your body’s stress response.

Creativity can also be a major boost in self-confidence. It validates our unique ideas and our ability to work those ideas into something physical. Showing that we can create something from nothing provides a new sense of self-worth.

Watching something come together has always given me a great feeling of pride. Even when I have to trust the process with every breath I take, the end results can be so rewarding, even for my work that never sees the light of day again.

Mental health continuously benefits from art, including the way our minds can heal through it. Research has proved that art can help process pain and help our minds find a connection with our bodies to aid in the healing process.

As mentioned in an article from Art Academy in the Woods, “Art gives us a way to take a painful thought out of our heads and put it onto a page or into a drawing, painting, or performance. It thereby releases the emotions around that thought and gives it less power.”

Exploring what is going on internally by expressing those thoughts through art can heal emotions and help you move forward or allow you to come to terms with things.

Nothing can stop me from making art.

I’ve experimented with several different mediums since a very young age. It helps that both my parents are creative individuals who urged me to continuously grow my imaginative mind.

My mom loves to scrapbook. Her craft room was always filled with colorful papers with unique textures, stamps for any subject, pens, markers, glue, ribbon, and more — including pictures, of course.

I have always appreciated the craftiness of scrapbooking. It’s a combination of the beautiful mess of collage work with the chaotic organization of a puzzle.

My dad, on the other hand, experiments with all sorts of interpretations of art. I have him to thank for most of the furniture in my apartment now. He’s also gifted me decor, like the hand-painted sign with my university’s mascot depicted on it.

Some might say his Christmas lights are an art form, too. If only you could see the way his house lights up the town.

I’ve watched them both radiate with joy when being creative. Seeing them in their element continues to inspire me.

For me, I’d say I’m best at photography, another thing I learned from my dad. I’ve always felt at home with a camera in my hand.

I’m a visual learner and a visual rememberer. My memories are best kept when I have an image to imagine. When traveling, I remember my time away through pictures more than I do through memory alone, unfortunately. As much as I love and want to live in the moment, I also want to remember those moments.

Aside from being a visual aid in that aspect, photography also lets me show people how I see the world. It helps me shine a new light on things in hopes that it might make someone think about it further.

I also love to paint, mostly for the chaos of it. I think being creative is best when you’re being messy.

Art is how I best communicate what I’m feeling and thinking. It helps me connect with others and with the world.

Being expressive through art can be so beneficial for so many people.

I could go on and on about what art means in general, as well as what it means to me, but I think that’s just my art degree talking.

Torianna Marasco can be reached at 989-358-5686 or tmarasco@TheAlpenaNews.com.