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THE ARTS, THE ELEMENTS & THE EVIDENCE

Art, expression
& wellbeing.

Explore the evidence through the Five Elements—with creative invitations to make it personal. Then discover the research threads in Your Brain on Art and Art Cure.

The elements are a creative lens for exploring this research. These studies evaluated particular practices and populations; they did not test the Five Elements framework or Tye’s programs.

Air / Perspective & the written word

A thread from the books Imagination and expression are ingredients to notice in a writing practice. Here, Air is our creative metaphor for perspective and possibility.

Writing to make a little space.

Randomized study · 90 first-year college students

What the study found

After three days of writing, anxiety decreased over time in both the expressive-writing and neutral-writing groups. This is an encouraging example of writing research, with mixed evidence for a special benefit from emotional disclosure.

Keep in mind The study did not establish that expressive writing was better than neutral writing. Findings in college students may not apply to everyone.

Study details & source

Robertson, Short, Sawyer & Sweazy · 2021
Randomized controlled trial assessing the efficacy of expressive writing in reducing anxiety in first-year college students: the role of linguistic features. Psychology & Health, 36(9), 1041–1065.

Read the published research for Air (opens a new tab)↗

The creative examples are everyday invitations, distinct from the study protocols and professional art therapy. They can complement wellbeing practices and do not replace mental health or medical care. Choose what feels comfortable and pause whenever you need.

SENSORY EXPERIENCE & THE BRAIN

Your Brain on Art

How the Arts Transform Us

Susan Magsamen & Ivy Ross

The authors connect research on sensory experience, emotion, learning, and social connection with everyday arts engagement. Their neuroarts lens invites us to notice how color, sound, movement, and touch shape an experience.

Explore the authors’ guide Explore artmaking & stress

ARTS IN EVERYDAY HEALTH & CONNECTION

Art Cure

The Science of How the Arts Save Lives

Daisy Fancourt

Fancourt examines how the arts interact with health through sensory, psychological, social, and behavioral pathways. Her approach asks us to consider the activity, the people, and the setting—and how different combinations may matter for different people.

Explore the book & excerpt Explore rhythm & connection

Book themes are drawn from the authors’ public guide, publisher material, and an authorized excerpt. The original research above lets you look more closely at each finding.

Look closer: what’s inside an arts experience?

A research lens behind Fancourt’s discussion: Warran, Burton & Fancourt’s 2022 INNATE framework groups potential ingredients into three areas.

  • The activityMaterials, sensory engagement, and creative expression.
  • The peopleParticipants, relationships, and facilitation.
  • The settingThe place and surroundings of the experience.

Built through a scoping review and consultation with 64 people working in arts and health, this is a framework for inquiry—not a trial proving that each ingredient improves health.

Read the INNATE research

In this studio We use relationship as a creative practice: listening to yourself and your senses, getting to know materials and the elements, and making room for connection with others. This is Tye’s interpretation of the research themes.

Small moments of art.
A growing body of research.

Social prescribing can connect people with community arts through health and care referrals. Read NHS England’s guidance ↗

A small study of 39 adults found lower cortisol after 45 minutes of artmaking, with no significant difference based on previous art experience. Without a control group, it cannot establish that artmaking alone caused the change. Read the 2016 study ↗

The WHO’s review draws on more than 3,000 studies across art forms, settings, and stages of life. Evidence varies in strength; findings do not guarantee an individual outcome. Explore the WHO review ↗

Creative wellbeing complements professional care; it does not replace medical treatment or therapy.