If you're an artist or art enthusiast you probably already instinctively know that art can be inspiring and influential in many aspects of people's lives. There are many different mediums for artistic expression, but the most popular, by far, are paintings. It would be such a shame to get to enjoy art only for a limited amount of time, when visiting museums and galleries. Everyone should be surrounded by art at home and in their office, so it can enrich their life.

But how can one afford to buy paintings to help them improve their lives when they are so expensive? The answer is simple - art prints.

What are art prints?

A simplified explanation of art printing would be that it’s the reproduction of a work of art through various printing techniques using various materials. Depending on the quality of the materials and the difficulty of the technique used the price of a print can vary greatly. But it’s still a lot less expensive than the original painting.

Artists want people to admire their talent and love their art, but it’s not easy finding art collectors who can both relish in it and afford it. So prints help bring the art closer to regular people so that they can enjoy the art they like and not pay exuberant amounts of money for it. Whether it’s old or modern art, the work of a well-known artist or novice, one can always find a print that speaks to them and is affordable.

Boosting creativity and sense of well-being

Our reactions to colors and pictures start from our early childhood, before any self-awareness. That feeling of amazement and fascination doesn’t leave us even when we grow up. Beautiful art can boost our imagination, creativity, take us beyond the limits of reality and stimulate abstract thinking. Every great achievement started as an inspired abstract thought. Art certainly helps reach that deep part of us where ideas come from.

Everyone feels better with canvas art prints hanging on the wall. Having bare walls can make you less enthusiastic, less productive, which is not great for home nor the office. Any workplace with art on its walls has increased productivity compared to the one that doesn’t. Because not only can good print inspire critical and creative thinking, it can also help set the mood, bring that cozy feeling. Inspirational quotes, bright colors, etc. can be often seen in offices that pay attention to their workers’ mental health.

The influence of art prints on emotions and mood

Our lives can sometimes be very hectic and stressful, so having the right kind of art can help you reduce that stress and feel more relaxed. Colors influence our emotions and mood, so having a blue/green painting, for instance, might be reminiscent of nature and has a calming, de-stressing effect on people.

Other colors like yellow/orange might bring energy and inspire creativity in your home and workplace. There’s a lot to be said about the psychology behind colors, but there’s no doubt about the profoundness of their impact on us. Colors and shapes, the “message” behind the art, speak to us without the need for words or explanation.

Art prints as the doctor prescribed

Immersing yourself in art can help you heal. Whether it’s in regular hospitals or mental health institutions, art has an impact on a healing body and mind. Some might even say on the soul too. Professor of neuroaesthetics Semir Zeki, says that viewing art brings up the same reaction in our brain as being in love. That can sometimes help with healing trauma.

Only, hospitals and institutions don’t have money for real original art, so prints are a fantastic solution. Having art in hospitals can make both patients and staff feel better. It can also speed up the recovery process and even help some patients decrease the need for certain medication. Scientific findings have been suggesting that paintings have a great impact on the brain, especially among people who had a stroke. Art enthusiasts had better health and recovered much easier, and were feeling less depressed and anxious.

Social impact of art prints

A picture can impact a person or many people on a deeper level than words. Looking at the painting can tell you more and make you feel more than any text. After all, we don’t say that pictures say more than a thousand words without reason. All of us are aware of how true that is. A powerful picture can have a great impact on peoples’ perception of some events and eras in history. It can take you to a certain place and time as if you’ve actually been there, send your mind traveling.

We can get to know other cultures because with art prints there is no language barrier. Their traditions and everyday intimate lives can be presented to us so vividly that you’d feel that distance between cultures disappeared. You don’t have to take the art from those countries and exhibit them in some museum. You can have art prints for a fraction of the cost and still remain respectful of their culture.

Final thoughts

Art prints are a great way of giving the masses access to beautiful life-enriching art that they’ll enjoy. Money doesn’t guarantee good taste or appreciation of art, so it’s good that art is brought within the grasp of those that will buy it out of love and not collect it as a rich man’s hobby.

Perhaps you’ll choose a piece that would bring color to your home and is there because it fits nicely with the rest of the interior design. On the other hand, you might have chosen a specific painting that “spoke to you” on some deeper level. In both cases, it brings a positive impact on your emotions and a sense of joy. Just from looking at it, you might feel relaxed, uplifted, inspired, maybe even healed.