The Power of Simplicity: How Minimalist Art Can Enhance Mindfulness and Well-Being

Minimalist art is a movement that prides itself on reducing the importance of inherent meaning in artwork, but does that mean it has less of an impact? Art historians and mental health professionals do not think so; in fact, many believe that the minimal qualities of this art form can have unique mental and emotional health benefits.

Mindfulness and health impacts of Minimalist art

In recent years, the idea of minimalism as a general concept has become increasingly popular. Lifestyle advisors like Marie Kondo advocated for keeping only those objects that “sparked joy,” reducing the clutter around you, and freeing up physical space to free mental space. The concept behind this is to put emphasis on experiences and important, sentimental items; it’s the idea of quality over quantity.

Likewise, art has become a popular therapeutic tool in all of its forms. Art therapy has been found by research to be a reasonable and effective intervention technique for a range of conditions including mood disorders like anxiety and depression, conditions that impair cognition like schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s disease, and some of the more unpleasant symptoms of diverse neurotypes like autism and ADHD. It’s said to allow patients to express themselves more authentically and naturally, especially in cases where they might have trouble with other forms of expression. It’s also an excellent way to stimulate memory and motor skills, allowing those who struggle with these skills to maintain and often improve them over time.

Combining these two ideas, minimalist art can be used to focus a person’s attention on a specific aspect of their emotions or emotional moment. It can either work as a distraction, allowing people to calm and center themselves in stressful situations, or as a method of examining emotions on a piece-by-piece basis. Creating minimalist art forces the artist to work with limited colors, materials, and forms, meaning that they have to think hard about what it is they want a particular piece to express. Additionally, having minimalist art around can keep a person from feeling overwhelmed by too many colors and patterns while still allowing them to have some visual stimulation in their environment.

As a compliment to this idea, minimalist art can be used as a form of mindfulness. This technique is, according to Greater Good Magazine from the University of California, Berkeley, the process of “maintaining a moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment, through a gentle, nurturing lens.” When we take the time to identify the elements of our existence - sensory input, emotional state, thoughts, ideas, etc. - we can be more present in our current lives and resist dangerous patterns of rumination or future worry. The physical activity of creating minimalist art can be a great way to practice mindfulness (more on that below).

How to improve your well-being through minimalist art

Knowing the benefits of minimalist art on your mental health is good, but knowing how to achieve those benefits is better. Here are some ways that you can improve your well-being through minimalist art.

Decorate your space appropriately

As mentioned, minimalist art in your environment can balance your need for visual stimulation with your need for calm and peace. Practice decorating your space with various pieces and forms of art (including paintings, prints, sculptures, etc.) to find the right balance of work and negative space. You may also choose to move this style into your furniture and decor pieces; experiment with the room until it makes you happy and inspires relaxation.

Consider focusing on just one room that you spend lots of time in to start, such as a bedroom or office. If you like how minimalism feels in the space, you can try incorporating elements of it into the rest of your home.

Practice mindful artistry

Use the creation of minimalist art as a method of practicing mindfulness, as mentioned above. As you create the art, consider asking yourself these questions:

What forms am I using to make this art? Why might I have chosen these forms?

What color palette am I using? How does this color palette make me feel?

What textures can I feel while making this art?

What smells are there while making this art?

How does creating art make me feel?

What am I thinking about while making this art?

You may choose to journal these thoughts after your art-making session is over. Keeping a record between sessions can help you see how your process and thoughts change over time.

Practice mindful art appreciation

In a similar vein, you may choose to find other minimalist art and practice mindfulness in its appreciation. Research local art galleries, museums, and exhibits, then plan a trip to view the work. Once there, spend time observing the pieces and recording your reactions to them. You can ask yourself the following questions:

What forms and patterns can I see in this piece?

What color palette did the artist choose?

What textures are present in the artwork? Is it interactive?

What can I pick up from this exhibit/gallery/museum with my other senses?

How does this art make me feel?

What does this art make me think about?

As before, you may choose to document the answers in a journal, so that you can reflect on them over time. Consider making art viewing a regular part of your schedule, to give yourself a mental break and a chance for mindfulness.

Minimalist art, as with all art, can have excellent therapeutic benefits. By approaching it from a mindful standpoint, we can use this form of art to better understand ourselves and our interactions with the world.