Art As a Processing Mechanism for Modern Issues

Art As a Processing Mechanism for Modern Issues

In the modern day, especially with the looming presence of innumerable social issues and crises, it’s become very easy to feel hopeless. Depression rates in America have been steadily rising post-2020, with the rate now exceeding 18% [11]. Younger adults and teens make up the bulk of this population [3]. Gen-Z, and likely Gen Alpha in the coming years, face unique digital stressors that enhance this issue. Social media has allowed people across the world to bring awareness to issues about human rights, politics, and the environment. However, a secondary effect of this increased awareness often manifests as a crushing weight on the human psyche [7]. Many people online express hopelessness and despair in regards to the current state of the world, yet it is in such an environment that some of art’s psychological benefits can manifest. Art can grant people a voice in relation to current issues, and it can serve as a way to understand emotions in regard to these events.

Art has always held a place within politics, holding sway on the public’s opinion on politics throughout history [6]. It’s a well-known form of political discourse, allowing for ideas to be depicted in complex, simplifying, or allegorical ways. An image can distill and clarify the emotions of both the artist and a viewer, and combining it with social media grants artists new possibilities for being politically engaged [4]. Frank Möller writes of another benefit on Oxford Academic: “Work on politics and art expands the discursive frames within which politics unfolds, thus paving the way to new forms of political activity”[8]. Posting or viewing political artwork online can also allow you to find community and solace amongst people who share your concerns.

In addition to using art as a way to build community and express one’s struggles or thoughts, the creation of art functions well as a way for people to process their emotions. In 2023, drawing as a therapeutic exercise was clinically utilized as an effective way for women facing breast cancer to reduce depression and fatigue. A patient expressed that they could “feel newfound strength,” with another saying “It feels really good to get all of our feelings out on the paper, right?”[5]. Older studies on the therapeutic properties of visual arts found that patients experienced more joy, improved medical outcomes and self-worth, and less anxiety. The creation of art filled occupational voids and allowed patients to express their grief in a healthy way [9].  The American Art Therapy association itself has stated that less than one hour of creative work, regardless of skill level, demonstrates a positive, stress relieving effect on mental health [1].

In the wake of what feels like wave after wave of human rights violations, political instability, and environmental catastrophes in the news, it can feel exceedingly difficult to even begin navigating everyday life. Nevertheless, art can serve as a stepping stone towards processing emotional turmoil, as well as a way to bring your own voice to the table.