Creating Positive Environments, Part 1: Using Art

One of our most active senses is sight. What we see can affect our outlook and attitude by how its counterpart, our brain, perceives visual information that it filters through its memory banks. You can improve the odds and therefore your attitude and outlook by creating environments that are viewed as positive. Here, in part one, the positive effects of using art will be explored.

Art, in two-dimensional (2D) or three-dimensional (3D) forms, can be pleasing to the eye and the mind in a variety of ways. Our minds enjoy problem-solving. From the simple to the complex, figuring things out is one of its favorite past-times. The other is rest. That is why art is attractive. Some art appeals to its thoughtful aspects and some to its restful ones. The, the subconscious and conscious come into the picture. When all aspects are in sync with each other is when you receive the greatest amount of pleasure from it. Although the conscious mind might not like a Picasso your subconscious part might think it is speaking its language.

Art is a language, a symbolic one, literally. Some symbols are put down simply as a straight line, a geometric shape, or a primary color. Others are more complex as symbols are combined to make a flower, a house in a forest, or a sail boat crashing the ways near an island with stilted huts. Just because something appears simple, however, does not mean that it is interpreted that way by the subconscious. For it, a red circle on a black background can say a whole lot of things to some people because of how it is perceived and interpreted. My artwork, therefore, might appeal to one type of person where a Rembrandt would appeal to another. Again, it is not the simplicity or complexity of the work, as my contemporary art can be very complex in design, too. It is the subconscious language that is spoken and how our brain is wired to understand it.

There are several ways to create a positive environment with art. The first is to disregard that notion that all the colors in the artwork need to match your sofa or your overall d