From early childhood art classes to college-level art and design courses, there are extensive opportunities available to learn visual art in an academic setting. Although students may elect to learn in specialized art courses in school, drawing is a tool that students can integrate outside of conventional spaces to manage mental health and well-being by stimulating mindfulness, reflection, and stress relief, according to mayoclinichealthsystem.org. Additionally, drawing enhances memory and boosts students’ critical thinking and overall performance in the classroom, according to edutopia.org. Drawing and coloring prove to benefit all individuals’ mental health. Thus, engaging with visual arts can be a performance enhancer inside and outside of the classroom, making it an important skill and habit that supports overall student success and well-being, reinforcing why schools should not overlook these benefits.
Drawing can enhance memory and is an efficient means of boosting performance and brain activity. In a school setting, students understand information significantly easier when it’s drawn out because it retains faster and longer in the brain. In fact, producing information through drawing is twice as effective as writing out the information in words. People retain ten percent of what they read and 20 percent of what they hear, but 95 percent of what they draw. When one draws, four powerful learning processes work in the brain, including elaboration, visual imaging, motor movement, and pictorial representation, according to masterteacher.com.
Artistic ability, time spent drawing, and age do not negatively impact the benefits of drawing. Creating a simple sketch can improve one’s ability to memorize material or information, according to masterteacher.com. Notably, while drawing, 80 percent of the brain’s right hemisphere activates, enabling creativity and imagination, while the left side of the brain simultaneously works to enable logical thinking and tasks. Taking notes by doodling during classes, meetings, or lectures can improve memory retention by 29 percent, according to roadscholar.org. Mrs. Marnie McLaughlin, Upper School Art Teacher, expanded on how drawing and coloring can improve skills needed in a classroom setting.
“I think that drawing, painting, crafting, and art-making of any kind improve our concentration and overall sense of well-being, which in turn helps us be better students,” Mrs. McLaughlin said. “I consider drawing to be a centering and contemplative discipline. I think drawing anything helps us to understand it better. When we illustrate our ideas, we map processes, organize information, and visualize objects, events, or timelines. Drawing and illustration can also add creativity and fun to learning, making the material more memorable and engaging. Drawing is also highly analytical, particularly when you’re drawing from observation, as it involves studying spatial relationships, patterns, proportions, angles, and textures.”
Additionally, drawing reduces stress and anxiety and increases happiness, relaxation, and mindfulness in students and even adults. It can even function similarly to antidepressants that produce positive brain chemicals like serotonin, endorphins, dopamine, and norepinephrine. Drawing also provides a way for students to express their emotions that are difficult to put into words. During busy school weeks, drawing offers a peaceful and engaging escape from everyday stress, allowing the mind to refresh and unwind, according to roadscholar.org.
When the brain relaxes, fatigue, body aches, heart rate, respiration, and feelings of depression and anxiety decrease. Unlike grades students receive in school, drawing for fun is a non-competitive and zero-pressure activity, relieving anxiety amidst the stress of everyday student life, according to mayoclinichealthsystem.org. Mrs. McLaughlin commented on how drawing can decrease worry or agitation.
“The level of concentration it requires quiets the mind and grounds us in the present moment, similar to mindfulness,” Mrs. McLaughlin said. “I feel that being creative and working with our hands provides a welcome antidote to the overwhelming exposure to screens, devices, and social media in our world.”
Overall, drawing boosts brain activity, improves memory, communication skills, observation, concentration, and mental health. Students and educators should recognize the meaningful benefits they can gain from drawing daily, inside and outside of the classroom. As a valuable yet often unconsidered wellness practice, drawing can be the key to an overall healthy, happy life and serve as an outlet for stress and anxiety management, both emotionally and academically.
Featured Image by Lilia Newman ’27
