(Written by yours truly, Dr. Stacey Wells, your physician-friend who believes in scrubs, stethoscopes, and the occasional paint-brush.)
1. Let’s talk why: You carry ALL the things 🧘🏾♀️
You’ve been on your feet. You’ve done the emotional heavy-lifting—work, family, community, maybe even extra-curriculars for the kids/grandkids or mentoring someone. By nightfall you’re bone-tired, brain-buzzing, and wishing you could just hit a mental pause button.
Here’s the truth: your mind and body are keeping score.
Chronic stress doesn’t just feel crappy—it digests you slowly, rewires your nerves, messes with sleep, spikes blood pressure, triggers rumination, and quietly steals joy.
But here’s the hopeful big new science: art-making—yes, even simple “just-for-me” creative moments—can help center and calm you.
2. The “art” prescription (without the copay)
Here’s what the evidence says (yes, I did read the manuscripts so you don’t have to):
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A large meta-analysis of 50 studies (2,766 individuals) found that active visual art therapy (i.e., making art, not just looking) was associated with improvement in ~18% of measured outcomes (depression, anxiety, self-esteem, social adjustment, and quality of life) compared to 1% in controls. Results suggested that "visual art therapy may be considered a valuable addition to standard medical care." JAMA Network
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A narrative review suggested that art therapy helps via self-expression, awareness, personal development, improved communication and emotional regulation. PMC+2PMC+2
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Neuroscience is beginning to show how creating art engages sensory, emotional and cognitive brain circuits—so this is not just a “nice hobby.” Frontiers
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Importantly: even if you’re not in therapy for diagnosed depression/anxiety, making art can be a preventive move—helping stave off burnout, kick stress hormones, and strengthen resilience. Cureus
So yes: your paint-brush counts. Your colored-pencil time counts. Even your doodle map of what you want your summer-camp-plans to look like—counts.
3. Why this matters for you
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You have less “me time” than you think: between work, family, community, you're giving a lot away. Art-making gives you back a chunk (even 15-20 minutes) just for you.
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It doesn’t require perfection: You don’t need to be the next Basquiat. The point is process, not product. The value lies in the doing—feel the brush move, the color smear, the choice of shade.
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It connects mind + body: When you’re tired and wired, your brain is on high alert (“what’s next?” “did I forget?”). Art slows that. It asks for touch, feel, create and that switches the nervous system out of fight/flight for a bit.
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It’s culturally rich: You bring your life, your memory, your magic into the art. Your palette = your story. That makes it meaningful and joyful—not a chore.
4. How to actually use art as wellness
Here are steps you can try tonight (yes, after you’ve switched off the laptop and tucked the emails away):
1. Set a tiny appointment with yourself:
Block 20 minutes. Calendar it. Write “Paint &-process” or “Color & decompress”. Make it non-negotiable.
2. Pick your medium:
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- A sketchbook and pencil.
- An art kit from Relax & Paint.
- Grab those adult coloring books (yes, they do help).
- Whatever you want, just make sure it is device free!
3. Lose yourself and your thoughts. Instead, go blank!
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Clear your mind from all its loud clutter. "Nope! Not thinking of that deadline right now!"
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As you draw, paint or color, take some soothing deep breaths. Let all the tension fall from those super tight shoulders.
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Think of this time as your meditation moment.
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4. Don’t critique it:
Resist the inner critic (you know who she is). This isn’t an art show. It’s your brain hitting refresh.
5. Reflect (optional, but good):
After you finish, ask: how do I feel now? Lighter? More grounded? Better than before I started?
Reward yourself by taking a step back and admiring your progress from afar. "Wow, sis, you DID that!"
6. Let go of “perfect”:
Perfection is overrated. The goal is expression. The goal is restful brain-time.
Closing thoughts
It's important to note that art-making is not a replacement for professional mental health care in the case of moderate/severe depression, trauma, or psychiatric disorders—but it can be a supportive adjunct to a healthy relationship with your psychologist, psychiatrist, taking your medication and engaging in a healthy lifestyle.
I implore you to examine your untouched artistic side. Or maybe, she has been forgotten and cast aside to make room for all the things of a busy life. Let's bring her out!
So here’s your prescription: Tonight, paint. Even if you think you can’t. Even if you think you’ll make a mess. Especially because you’re tired and you deserve it.
Your life is full of service, of giving, of doing. Your brain and body are ready for you to receive some calm, some color, some time simply being.
Pick up your medium. Let your inner self have the microphone for a bit.
You’ll thank yourself in the morning. Your nervous system will thank you. Your creativity will whisper, “More of this, please.”
And yes—in the morning you’ll feel just a bit more grounded, a little more you.
