Dr. Spurr Bored Panda about the benefits of creating art for our mental health. “Experimenting with colors and putting something new and fresh on a page is fantastic for well-being,” she said.
Her focus of work also includes using creativity as a form of therapy. She believes that art has the power to change our emotions and health for the better. Dr. Spurr tells us of her own experiences working as a psychologist and being a creative too: “People often tell me how much they benefited from art therapy. And I know with my own painting, I can get totally lost and find that hours have gone past while I've been expressing my feelings on canvas.”
Gretchen Miller backs this up with her own thoughts on the effect of creating art. She told us: "Art can enhance mood, create connections related to the self and outside of the self, promote emotional expression, and foster opportunities to develop or strengthen empathy. When we engage with, make, or view art it can have a life-affirming influence to experience ourselves, others, and the world around us in new ways."
Dr. Spurr concludes with her statement on creativity: “Everyone should be encouraged to dabble in something creative whether it's coloring, painting, graphics, sewing, knitting—anything where you can let your inner artist run free!”
Gretchen Miller also realizes the variety of ways that we can be creative. "There are many ways our essential need to create can be activated and expressed," she told us. "Some individuals express their creativity through color, drawing, painting, taking photos, technology, knitting, quilting, or with wood, clay, found objects, nature, and sculpture. Others engage in music, dance, drama, storytelling, or writing."
Both of the professionals we spoke to understand the value of individual creativity, and the joys that it can bring. You can see how the people sharing their artworks here feel the same.
It's always best to think outside the box, or in this case, draw outside the lines. The drawings here capture the essence of that perfectly.
What are your favorite images from this collection of corrupted coloring books? You can vote for the best ones here. Have you ever turned blank coloring pages into something dark too? Tell us about it, and then head over to the r/ColoringCorruptions subreddit or website to share your artworks too!
