If you are feeling low, try looking at some art to lift your mood.

Surrounding yourself with art is good for your health. It can certainly influence your mood and emotions for a positive outcome.

Focusing on a beautiful painting or photograph in your bedroom before you go to sleep can evoke calm and well-being, increasing levels of serotonin in your brain. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter, associated with feelings of happiness, well-being, and contentment. When serotonin levels are low, a person may experience symptoms of depression, anxiety, and other mood disorders. If you are feeling low, try looking at some art to lift your mood.

Throughout history, we have adorned our walls and environments with pleasing images hoping to convey visual messages to inspire and to provoke thought.  The artist wants to convey a message and is skilled when it comes to portraying feelings. When it comes to our health it has been proven that putting good and uplifting art in hospitals aids the well being of patients.

So what work is going on in your brain?

Your brain is working hard,  processing colour, texture, shape and form but it is not just what you see.  Your emotions are also going through a process As you continue to view the artwork, your brain's limbic system becomes active, processing emotional information such as mood, tone, and symbolism. This can lead to feelings of pleasure, awe, or even sadness or discomfort depending on the artwork.  When you view a piece of art that you enjoy, the brain's reward centre, the ventral striatum, is activated, releasing dopamine and providing a sense of pleasure and satisfaction.

Art has the power to evoke a wide range of emotions and feelings in people, which can vary based on the individual's personal experiences, cultural background, and other factors. Art stimulates our emotions, we can feel joy and happiness, awe and wonder, it can also embrace us with feelings of sadness and melancholy.

Overall, art can make us feel a wide range of emotions, from joy and happiness to sadness and contemplation, and can help us connect with our own inner selves and the world around us in meaningful ways.