Can being surrounded by art help someone to improve their creativity and wellbeing? From paintings and sculptures to the bold colours of nature, does what surrounds us influence our ability to think innovatively?

Behind the science

Researchers at University College London conducted a series of brain-mapping experiments, led by neurobiologist, Professor Semir Zeki[i]. During this study, volunteers underwent brain scanning whilst viewing a series of 28 pieces of art. The scans showed that viewing art triggered a surge of dopamine which results in feelings of pleasure and satisfaction. It appeared that the reaction was almost immediate.

A day of art

One of our senior designers, Michael Hall loves exploring art and so for his annual creativity day, he knew exactly where he wanted to visit. Michael went to the David Hockney exhibition at Lightroom Coal Drops Yard at Kings Cross in London. The room is a very large box with projections of David Hockney’s work past and present.

Michael said: “It was great to be fully surrounded and immersed by the art. Some of the work was animated and flew around the space. The whole experience lasted about one hour and included a talk by David Hockney which was really interesting. I learned a lot about working with 4th dimension which changes the standard view of perspective by capturing multiple viewpoints at a time.”

The second part of his day was at the Brian Clarke exhibition called “A Great Light” at Newport Street Gallery. Michael loved seeing the colourful and vibrant stained glass and collages and felt the scale of the art was incredible and inspiring; almost like an escapism from winter.

Inside a painting

Michael chose an arty experience to see what it felt like to be inside a painting. There is a trend for projected room art, but this was the first time Michael had seen one. The Lightroom was also close to Coal Drops Yard and there are lots of new developments near King’s Cross, so he took the opportunity to research this area. Michael also wanted to visit Damien Hirst’s Gallery and stopped at the graffiti tunnel on his way there.

Back at the office

Thinking about what he experienced that he could bring back to the workplace, Michael commented: “The gallery had a Damien Hirst café, and it was interesting to see the finishes, furniture and lighting brought together as a pharmacy interior. I had never seen anything like it before.”

Michael loves how the new ABDA Creativity Days allow both him and the rest of the team the time to do something they would rarely find the time to do. If someone is struggling with creativity Michael’s top piece of advice is to put aside some time to switch off from day-to-day life, even something as simple as finding a different space to be in can really help with creativity.

A report called What is the evidence on the role of the arts in improving health and well-being?[i] was published by the World Health Organisation in 2019. This explored over 3000 studies from around the world and it highlighted that the arts play a role in improving health and wellbeing. We have loved seeing so many of our team turn to the arts for their creativity days whether that’s enjoying the work of others or having a go themselves.

[i]Alleyne, R. (2011). Viewing art gives same pleasure as being in love. The Telegraph, 8.
[i] Fancourt, D., & Finn, S. (2019). What is the evidence on the role of the arts in improving health and well-being? A scoping review. World Health Organization. Regional Office for Europe.