Did you know that the therapeutics of painting can improve your mental health? When researching the positive effects of our Paint & Sips class, one thing stood out to us; people we generally more positive after every class from their day. Why is this? For us to understand the “Why” and “What” benefits we can all reap from a Paint & Sip experience, we must first know what Paint & Sips are. The Artist’s Collective describes a Paint & Sip class as “very fun, creative and uplifting” which one of our very talented instructors will guide you through. You can expect to explore the acrylic paint medium on canvas, and be guided through basic color theory, mixing and brush techniques.

Absolutely no experience is needed. From this definition, we can all gather that this is a beginning-level paint class that is instructor lead with a little more of a social element when it comes to the sip. Paint and sips can be a great added element to any event and can be a great catalyst for bonding. Now that we understand what a paint and sip experience entails, how does this translate into a beneficial mental health experience?

With the everyday hustle and bustle of things like school, work, covid, and home life experiences we all could benefit from a mental break so why not choose art therapy? Art therapy has been proven to improve cognitive brain function, foster self-esteem, enhance social skills, and reduce conflicts. When looking at the mental effects of painting specifically according to the Princeton Brush “Modern brain scan techniques have found that art might even change the structure of your brain, with artists having significantly more grey matter in certain areas of the parietal lobe. Artists actually experience less feelings of depression and loneliness than the general population, while also reporting greater overall morale.” This is extremely important to note that art can vastly improve mental health as well as adding a social element to the experience can be beneficial.

When we look at the therapeutics of painting and it’s social benefits of paint and sips we find that this is a great way for us in a technology-driven world to put down our phones and have a disconnected experience with the world. This technology-free experience encourages social conversation, promotes entering a mental state of flow, and brings us out of our comfort zones. As well as previously touched on helps us significantly reduce the stress we may feel in our everyday lives. Paint and sips can truly be a wonderful tool we all can find mental and physical satisfaction in.