Interacting with Art Can Delay the Ageing Process, Study Shows
How Creative Engagement, Drawing, Painting, and Artistic Activities May Support Healthier Ageing, Emotional Wellbeing, and Cognitive Vitality
Interacting with Art Can Delay the Ageing Process, Study Shows
For centuries, people have instinctively understood that art has the power to move, heal, calm, and transform us emotionally. Today, emerging scientific research suggests that the benefits of art may extend even further — potentially influencing how the body ages at a biological level.
A growing body of research led by Professor Daisy Fancourt at University College London suggests that regular engagement with art and creative activities may contribute to healthier ageing, improved emotional wellbeing, and stronger cognitive resilience over time.
Importantly, the findings are not limited to professional artists.
Simply interacting with art — through drawing, painting, visiting galleries, attending creative workshops, or participating in cultural activities — may positively influence mental and physical wellbeing across the lifespan.
At Visual Arts Centre Singapore, art is understood not only as technical skill development, but also as a lifelong practice that supports creativity, mindfulness, emotional expression, and human connection.
The Research Behind Art and Healthy Ageing
Recent studies examining the relationship between arts engagement and biological ageing have produced compelling findings.
Researchers analysed data from thousands of adults, examining biological markers associated with ageing alongside participation in artistic and cultural activities.
The results suggested that people who engaged regularly with the arts showed signs of healthier biological ageing compared to those with lower levels of engagement.
Participants who attended artistic or cultural activities more frequently appeared biologically younger according to several epigenetic measurements linked to ageing.
Researchers also found that the diversity of creative engagement mattered.
People who participated in a wider variety of artistic experiences — such as exhibitions, painting, music, theatre, drawing, or workshops — appeared to experience stronger benefits.
Professor Daisy Fancourt compared this effect to maintaining a varied and balanced diet: the broader the range of enriching experiences, the greater the potential impact on long-term wellbeing.
Why Art May Support Healthier Ageing
1. Art Reduces Stress and Cortisol
Chronic stress is increasingly recognised as one of the major contributors to accelerated ageing.
Creative activities help regulate the nervous system by reducing cortisol, one of the body’s primary stress hormones.
Research by psychologist Girija Kaimal found that just 45 minutes of creative activity significantly lowered cortisol levels in participants regardless of artistic experience.
When stress levels decrease consistently over time, the body is better able to regulate inflammation, sleep, emotional balance, and cognitive function.
2. Art Encourages Mindfulness and Presence
Drawing and painting naturally encourage mindful attention.
When people focus on colour, observation, texture, composition, or brushwork, attention gradually shifts away from anxiety and overstimulation toward the present moment.
This state of concentration can calm mental noise and support emotional regulation.
Many artists and participants describe painting as deeply meditative because it creates a sense of absorption and stillness that is increasingly rare in modern life.
3. Creativity Stimulates the Brain
Creative engagement activates multiple areas of the brain simultaneously, including regions associated with memory, emotional processing, sensory awareness, and reward.
Studies suggest that regular artistic activity may help maintain cognitive flexibility and emotional resilience as people age.
Researchers have also linked arts engagement to lower rates of loneliness, stronger social connection, and improved quality of life among older adults.
You Do Not Need to Be an Artist
One of the most important findings from recent studies is that the benefits of art are not limited to trained artists or professionals.
Observers benefit too.
Visiting galleries, viewing exhibitions, sketching casually, experimenting with colour, or participating in workshops can all become meaningful forms of creative engagement.
The process matters more than technical perfection.
Art offers something increasingly valuable in contemporary life: time to slow down, observe carefully, reflect emotionally, and reconnect with imagination.
Art as Emotional Release and Therapy
Beyond healthy ageing, art is increasingly recognised for its therapeutic value in supporting emotional wellbeing and mental health.
Art therapy combines creative expression with psychological support, helping individuals process emotions visually when words alone feel insufficient.
Through painting, drawing, and intuitive mark-making, emotions become externalised rather than suppressed internally.
This process can support:
- Stress reduction
- Emotional release
- Self-awareness
- Relaxation
- Trauma processing
- Mindfulness and grounding
- Improved emotional resilience
At Visual Arts Centre Singapore, workshops exploring mindfulness, emotional expression, and creative wellbeing provide opportunities for participants to experience art not only as skill-building, but also as personal restoration.
Featured Workshop: Let It Flow — Art as Therapy & Release with Yen Chua
Led by Yen Chua, this workshop explores how creative expression can become a process of emotional release, mindfulness, and self-reflection.
Participants are guided through intuitive art-making exercises designed to reduce stress, encourage calm, and create space for emotional exploration in a safe and supportive environment.
The workshop includes:
- Mindfulness-based art exercises
- Reflective drawing and painting activities
- Emotional release through creative expression
- Relaxation-focused creative practice
- Gentle guidance suitable for all experience levels
Workshop Link: Let It Flow: Art as Therapy & Release Workshop by Yen Chua
Featured Workshop: Creative Illustration with William Sim
The upcoming workshop by William Sim explores illustration, drawing, and storytelling through expressive creative practice.
Participants learn how careful observation, sketching, and painting can become calming, immersive, and restorative experiences that encourage focus and creative confidence.
The workshop focuses on:
- Illustration and drawing techniques
- Watercolour exploration
- Visual storytelling
- Creative observation
- Relaxation through immersive art-making
William Sim’s teaching approach encourages participants to slow down, observe deeply, and rediscover the joy of creating by hand.
Workshop Link: Creative Illustration Workshop by William Sim
Why Art Matters More Than Ever
In an age of constant digital stimulation, productivity pressure, and emotional fatigue, art offers something profoundly human.
- It encourages stillness.
- Attention.
- Observation.
- Emotion.
- Reflection.
- Connection.
Whether through painting, drawing, gallery visits, workshops, or mindful creative practice, interacting with art reminds us that wellbeing is not only physical — it is emotional, psychological, social, and imaginative as well.
And increasingly, research suggests that these creative experiences may play a meaningful role in helping us live not only more creatively, but more healthily too.