Art of Friendship - 4 Ways Friends and Art Build Resilience

Jan 9, 2023
2 min read

Updated: Oct 5

When life feels heavy, two things can lift your spirits almost instantly:

1. Call your best friend

2. Spend time with meaningful art

Both friendships and art have remarkable power to comfort us, shift our perspective, and remind us we're not alone.

Reseach shows close relationships:

Lower stress
Improve mental health
Lenghten

Studies in art reveal similar effects:

Reduces cortisol
Slows your heart rate
Calms your nervous system

So how do friendship and art overlap?

4 ways they both support resilience and well-being.

1. Nostalgia

Just as a best friendship rests on shared history, art can stir deep foundations of memory.

The sweet song of a cardinal lifts my spirits as fond memories flood my heart

When I see a bright red cardinal, I'm reminded of my dad whistling its song with his mustache dancing - the same mustache that tickle my cheek with every good-night kiss.

Choosing artwork that reaches your foundation is like inviting a best friend into your home.

2. Sense of Importance

When a friend drops everything to help you, their loyalty reminds you that you matter.

Art can feel just as loyal - comforting unconditionally, brightening your mood, even motivating you.

Original art carrries that same one-of-a-kind quality as a true friend:

Unique
Irreplaceable
Affirming

3. Mindset shift

Life is full of challenges and unexpected changes. A best friend listens, helps us sort out our feelings, and lifts up from a slump.

Art can do the same.

Try it: gaze at a painting.

Let your mind wander into its colors and textures.

Notice your breathing slow.

Your shoulders relax.

Problems start to look less like walls and more like doorways.

Birch trees line the shoreline of smooth water and reflections — The horizontal ripple-less water creates a relaxing feel. 'Afterglow'

4. Accepting and Belonging

A best friend accepts you for who you are, without judgement.

Art does that, too.

It anchors your soul, offering a place where your personality, taste, and style belong.

Watercolor of treetops of birch and pine trees. — One glance at these treetops takes to Elk Lake – the scent of pine filling my memory.

Like friends, art comes in all shapes and sizes.

But unlike friends, it's always available, waiting to bring you comfort when you get home.

Friends + Art = Resilience

Both friends and art can help us feel seen, soothed, and supported. Together, they're like a grand slame for resilience - upliting your spirit when you need it most.

Your home isn't just a place you live; it can buzz with human-to-human freindships and with the presence of maeaningul art.