Expressive arts activities such as painting, drawing, printmaking, singing, journaling, poetry writing and photography have been used in healthcare settings. These activities which allow patients and caregivers to engage in an activity that fosters creative thoughts, behaviors and emotions have been shown to have multiple therapeutic benefits such as reduced stress and anxiety. Physiological benefits of engagement in expressive arts activities include lowered blood pressure, heart rate and improved immunological functioning. The current study measured and explored the relationship between the expressive arts and the constructs of mood; positive and negative affect. A simple experiment conducted by the researcher confirmed the hypothesis that engagement in expressive arts vs. simple observation of expressive arts has significant benefits in improving overall mood and positive affect; while not significantly affecting negative affect.

1. Color Me Happy!
The Effectiveness of Expressive Arts Activities on Mood
Julie Harper
Introduction Open-Ended Question: In your own words, how Results
did this activity affect your current mood?
 Expressive arts have been used in palliative ( Answers coded 1-4 – 1 = Unchanged, 2 = Bored, 3 = Relaxed, 4 = Happy/Elevated) Results indicated that participants engaged in an
and hospice care and nurses, physicians and social expressive arts activity (the card making group) (M =
workers have conducted research using expressive arts 34.0, SD = 8.73) had a statistically significant higher
Card Making Group
positive affect score than those engaged only in
 Expressive arts are defined as any instance in which a “Was more relaxed and explored my creative side.” observation of (M = 21.37, SD = 10.2) someone
person is engaged in an artistic activity which manifests conducting an expressive arts activity,
an original product or work of art accompanied by “ I feel happy. Actually this activity made me think of high
school – a time when I feel I was very creative.” t(39) = -4.27, p = .00. Thirty-two percent of the
creative thoughts, ideas or behaviors (Peterson &
variance in the positive affect score can be accounted for
Seligman, 2004) “It made me happy!” “It was relaxing.” by the type of involvement in an expressive arts activity;
 Painting, drawing, pottery making, card making, actual engagement versus observation of an expressive
“Helped elevate my mood; made me feel a little more light- arts activity.
journaling, poetry writing, printmaking and singing are hearted; took some stress away.”
examples of expressive arts Results comparing negative affect scores of those
“The activity was stress relieving and I had fun!” engaged in an expressive arts activity (M= 13.77, SD =
 Engagement in expressive arts has been correlated with 4.52) versus those engaged only in observing an activity
a reduction in blood pressure, reduced heart rate, “Brightened my mood a good deal and made (M = 11.95, SD = 2.01) were found to be insignificant,
improved immunological functioning, increased blood me feel excited!” t(39) = -1.71, p = .10.
flow and a reduction in stress and anxiety
Observation Group A chi-square test of independence was used to
 Positive affect, a dimension of mood, is a state of high determine if there was a relationship between reported
energy, full concentration and pleasurable engagement “It made me mellow and ready to go to sleep.” mood change on the open-ended question responses and
“Bored.” “I am now very tired and bored.” type of exposure to the expressive arts activity;
 Negative affect, a dimension of mood, is characterized
observation of someone engaged in an expressive arts
by contempt, anger, nervousness and feelings of fear “I actually found it rather calming and made me want to activity (painting) or direct engagement in an expressive
Hypotheses work on some of my own art.” arts activity (card making). A significant interaction was
found (χ2(3, N = 41) = 14.36, p = .002), with 35% of
Engagement in expressive arts activities will have “Made me sleepy, but inspired.”
the variance in mood change accounted for.
beneficial effects on participants’ positive affect “Put me to sleep, agitated me a little, lost most of my train
dimension of mood. Those engaged in an expressive of thought.” Discussion
arts activity vs. those observing an expressive arts
activity will have a significant improvement in positive
PANAS - Positive Affect
There was confirmation that engagement in expressive
affect. arts had a significant effect on positive affect (feelings of
50
interest, enthusiasm and inspiration) while the use of
Method 40 34
expressive arts did not have a significant effect on
C ard Making Group
30 21.37 Observation Group
negative affect (meaning it did not increase any feelings
Participants 20
10 of anger, hostility or fear) Furthermore, the actual
Forty one students (29 female, 6 male, 6 non-reported) 0 engagement in an expressive arts activity was more
in a small southeastern college participated in this study beneficial than observation of an expressive arts activity.
in which they were randomly assigned to two groups.
PANAS - Negative Affect It is suggested that the use of expressive arts as a way to
Procedure elevate mood adds to the established body of research
Group one observed a painting demonstration and then 50 on expressive arts. Limitations of the study included
self-reported positive and negative affect and responded 40 number of participants and additional qualitative
to one open-ended question. Group two engaged in a 30 C ard Making Group
Observation Group information. Future research should include different
13.77 11.95
card making session and reported positive and negative 20
expressive arts activities and added measurement scales
affect and responded to one open-ended question. with greater emphasis on participant demographics.
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