Why Diamond Painting?: The Science Behind Diamond Painting and How it Can Improve Your Health!

You may never have heard of diamond painting – and if you have, you may be wondering why on earth someone would want to paint anything on top of a precious and valuable gemstone. Are diamonds not beautiful enough already? But diamond painting does not refer to painting actual diamonds – it refers to a style of painting that is beautiful, soothing, and overall beneficial to both a person’s mental and physical health.

Diamond painting is a type of painting where an artist or “crafter” paints tiny little pieces of an overall picture, and eventually these beautiful, small “diamonds” add up to a gorgeous image in its entirety. The concept is similar to paintings made in a mosaic style, or photographs of a person’s face that are actually made up of thousands of other, smaller photographs of other people’s faces. Diamond painting is a method of painting that requires a good amount of focus, but also allows for more forgiveness than traditional painting, where a blank canvas can feel a little overwhelming and put a lot of pressure on an artist or crafts aficionado.

The amount of focus diamond painting requires is one of the main reasons why it can help improve a person’s health in both a mental and physical aspect. Life in today’s society comes with a lot of time constraints and expectations. When was the last time you can remember sitting down and doing something for an hour that did not involve a screen, or completing a task for a boss/family member/someone who is not you? Many people in today’s hustle and bustle world do not take the time to sit down and work on something with their own two hands, something that is just for them. Diamond painting is a great way to do this – it is a solo activity, it requires you to focus solely on your work, not your phone or your email, and at the end, you will have created something beautiful that you can then frame as a reminder of how good it felt to take time just for yourself. In a world where multiple health problems are caused by stress, taking a step back and immersing yourself in the world of diamond painting, even if it is just for an hour, can have huge benefits. Diamond painting can reduce anxiety, which consequently also reduces your risk of heart attack and multiple other health issues.

Additionally, the focus diamond painting requires can help develop your brain in entirely new ways, which then can make you more efficient in completing tasks in other areas of your life, whether that is with your work or with your family. You may have heard about the multiple studies citing that children growing up in today’s screen-obsessed world, with its ever-present emphasis on multitasking, have shorter attention spans and less ability to focus than older generations. This societal shift is having an impact on adults as well: just try watching television while your phone is in another room. Or try eating breakfast without also having your laptop out. It can feel weird to hone in on one thing and one thing only when so often we are rewarded for our ability to multitask, but it is absolutely necessary for your brain to take a break sometimes and narrow its focus in on just one thing. Diamond painting is a great way to accomplish this – it is literally impossible to multitask when you are trying to complete little tiny pieces of art that will add up to a greater image. This intense focus will train your brain to be less easily distracted and will increase your productivity across the board, not just in diamond painting. Additionally, this increased productivity will also contribute to lower stress levels as mentioned above, proving diamond painting helpful in a multitude of ways!

Although diamond painting is considered by many to be more of a solo activity (and certainly a lot of its mental and physical health benefits can be realized in a solo setting), it can also be a great way to build community. Again, community building is something our task-obsessed, productivity-obsessed world does not place a lot of value upon, but it is vital for our happiness and health as humans. Starting a new hobby such as diamond painting can open up a whole new world of social connections you did not even know existed previously, and these social connections will help you feel more fulfilled as a person and consequently more healthy. These connections do not even have to happen in person – there are a large amount of online diamond painting support networks, and websites such as Facebook and Flickr are making such groups increasingly more common. Imagine the ability to connect with someone across the world who enjoys diamond painting in their free time as much as you do – it doesn’t get much cooler than that.

Diamond painting is also a great opportunity to prioritize your more creative side. You may have heard of the left-brain, right-brain theory, where the right side of your brain focuses more on logic and productivity and the left side of your brain thrives on creativity. Many jobs and aspects of everyday life appeal to the right side of your brain, but when was the last time you took a step back and did something that nurtured your left side? Creativity can be sorely lacking in our day-to-day existence, but again, there are numerous health benefits associated with making time for creativity in our lives. Diamond painting is an easy and rewarding way to incorporate a bit more creativity into your day.

It is clear that diamond painting provides numerous opportunities to improve both your mental and physical health. Diamond painting provides self-care, increases focus, can build community, and nurtures creativity. Diamond painting is an easy way to lower your stress levels and see almost immediate health benefits – so what are you waiting for? Get started with diamond painting today!