Whether you’ve taken art classes or not, or whether or not you’re an artist yourself, when you see a painting in a museum, a sculpture, or a finger painting done by your child, it’s not hard to appreciate other people’s talent and imagination. If you’ve ever taken an art class, you may know how much work it takes to create a piece of art that is thoughtful, cohesive, and represents a piece of who you are. At Personal-Prints, we strive to create beautiful pieces of art that can be enjoyed in homes everywhere. Our artists love what they do, they love sharing what they make, and allowing families to bring art into their homes, whether that’s our personalized name art, kids’ art, or a scene of cuddling animals.

In a math and science focused world, it can be difficult to see how impactful creating and having art in the home is for students and adults. By creating and sharing our art, we want to help these students succeed in a variety of ways. From the first finger painting, students who participate in art will have a greater appreciation for the world around them and it can have limitless other benefits. So even though budget cuts can take a chunk out of arts funding, here are a few amazing benefits of having an arts education, and a couple reasons why art is so powerful.

Academic Help

Astudy from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) shows that for students who are at risk and are considered of low socioeconomic status, being exposed to the arts, whether in school or out, have better academic results, pursue more advanced career goals, and are more likely to be active in their community. Students who were exposed to or participated in music, dance, theater, or visual arts would be more likely to get better grades and had higher rates of college enrollment, chose careers such as accounting, education, or nursing, and were more likely to volunteer in their community, vote, or participate in school politics. While a traditional math and science education is still highly important for overall development of students and young adults, having a history in the arts can set them up for a successful future.

Give Kids a Positive Distraction

Anyone who has spent any time at all in a hospital will understand the stress and emotional burden it can be. For children undergoing medical treatments, the grueling schedule and hospital environment can be a drain of their energy. An article from theNew York Times describes the impact that taking a break from treatments to make Chinese lanterns has on kids at Boston Children’s Hospital. An educator at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston has been visiting the hospital for 10 years with the museum’s Artful Healing Program. Even the simple act of painting trees can take the kids’ mind off of their illness and helps to reduce stress.

Art Therapy

Art therapists works with people who struggle with mental disabilities, depression, anxiety, autism, PTSD, and many other conditions. Doctors often recommend medication to reduce the symptoms of these illnesses, but they have their own negative side effects. Another unique method of helping people to cope is participating in art, from music, dance, painting, or whatever activity they are comfortable with. Even though art may not cure them, it does give them an emotional release and helps to break them out of their shell.

Raises Awareness

If you look at thehistory of art, artists take up their preferred medium and create art that speaks to injustices and causes that they want to promote awareness of. Many museums today showcase artists who are showing us, instead of telling us of these problems around the world, whether it’s famine, war, or even people’s daily lives in other countries. You’ve heard the phrase, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” Well, images or songs that were created to raise awareness of a certain cause can help people relate to it better than any article or report could.

At Personal-Prints, we may not be trying to directly raise awareness of problems, but we are seeking to improve people’s lives through art. With our personalized name art prints, kids who see their name on their bedroom walls get a boost of confidence throughout the day. By customizing a piece of art with their name, people of all ages can say that they had a part in creating art. Withpersonalized name art, whatever theme is chosen, baseball, skiing, ballet, cathedrals, fishing, or western, the art represents a little of their personality, their hobbies, and their interests. The gift of personalized name art has a meaning that goes beyond just giving and receiving a gift, but a personal touch that has lasting benefits.

When you want to make a difference in someone’s life, or add a touch of you to your home, shop at Personal-Prints for personalized name art.