The Connection Between Art and Mental Health

We all know that art is beautiful and has a positive affect on mental health. Today we dig a little deeper and get into how much of an affect it truly has. A pandemic Social study led by Dr. Daisy Fancourt of the University College of London, has tracked arts participation and mental health in a group of 72,000 adults aged 18 and older. Her data suggests that people who have spent 30 minutes or more each day during the pandemic on arts activities have lower reported rates of depression, anxiety and overall satisfaction with life.

Given such limited options for socializing during the early days of quarantine, it makes sense that so many people turned to the arts.

Dr. Fancourt’s study also found that during the pandemic young adults have had higher reported rates of depression and anxiety than older adults. Young adults also reported lower levels of happiness and life satisfaction. But young adults are not the only group shown to be particularly vulnerable to mental health challenges during quarantine. People from low-income households, people living with mental illness, and people living alone have also been shown to be at higher risk of poor mental health during this time. There are so many people advocating for mental health by using art and Comacell Brown is one of those people.

Comacell, aka Cell Spitfire, is a multi-disciplinary artist from Annapolis, Maryland, specializing in painting, graphic design, entrepreneurial skills, and local outreach through art. He holds an Associates Degree in Graphic Design from the Art Institute of Atlanta.

Born in the mid-1980s, Comacell’s struggles developed early in life as a result of absent parents. Due to drug addiction, his mother gave legal guardianship of her only son to his grandparents. Aware of and affected by his mother’s addiction by the age of 8, he began to channel his emotions into art. His passion for drawing and painting was cultivated at an after-school program provided by the Salvation Army. He later began to manifest his love for art on clothing, turning t-shirts and jeans into his new canvas, creating customized apparel.

At the age of 18, Comacell embarked on a custom clothing line, later to be called Creative Fashions. Over time, his one-offs evolved into wholesale production, followed by recognition and notoriety.

Comacell is the recipient of many awards including a 2019 Governor’s Citation for Outstanding Service, Artist of the Month (Capital Gazette - April 2019), a 2019 Community Collaboration Award, a 2019 Entrepreneurial Excellence Award, the 2015 DMV Painter/Drawer of the Year Award, and the 2021 Visual Artist of the Year for Anne Arundel County.

We had the pleasure of interviewing Comacell about his journey.

• What is the inspiration behind your artistic journey?

Comacell: I would have to say my inspiration comes from my family and the city I grew up in, Annapolis, MD. I faced many emotional battles trying to discover my identity growing up and using art to amplify my voice when the world needed it most. I’ve always had the mindset I was born to make an impact in the world artistically and I’ve found every creative way possible to keep my journey alive to be one of the most diverse artists ever.

• What is the most exciting project you have worked on to date?

Comacell: I’ve worked on so many unique projects in my lifetime of so many different types of art and each have their own special memories but I will say the Carlester “Buckwheat” Smith mural in Annapolis holds dear to my heart. I was able to paint this project with a group of longtime friends and sadly Carlester passed away due to health complications shortly after the mural was unveiled. He is a legend in my city and for me to be able to give him his flowers before he left this earth meant a lot to me and my team.

• Tell us about some of the celebrities you have worked with or collaborated with.

Comacell: Early in my professional art career I was able to paint portraits for 50 Cent, Jeezy, Louis Farrakhan, Angela Davis, Ludacris, and a few hi-profile clients who aren’t known to the world. My most recent notable clients for graphic design is FUBU Frames/ Eye Candy Creations and for fashion design I had the pleasure of working with Lamar Jackson in 2020. I was hired to create a series of collections under the Era 8 Apparel Brand which included the “Pressure” series, Wild Dog Collections, Summer Collection and the MVP Collection.

•How do you feel that art and mental health are connected?

Comacell: Art and Mental Health are strongly tied together and have always been. Art is known to lower stress levels and promote mental calmness. Creating art takes your mind off your everyday life and provides a relaxing distraction. For the last two years I’ve held online classes during the pandemic teaching Art Therapy workshops to children and adults who suffered from mental exhaustion or just simply needed a break from life to do something creative.

• What advice would you give an artist that is feeling unmotivated?

Comacell: I would tell any artist who is feeling unmotivated to try connecting with an artist group, organization or leadership program and surround themselves with uplifting and passionate people who can give them a jumpstart to get those creative juices flowing. Once you get back in that mode of creating what you love… don’t stop… keep going!

• It’s Women’s History Month. Name a woman who inspires you.

Comacell: My grandmother who died last year Joyce Johnson inspires me. She sacrificed much of her life for my family and made sure we had all the things we needed growing up and she constantly instilled powerful affirmations into me long before I got to where I am today. She is and will always be my inspiration because she believed in me before anyone else did.

•Where can our reader’s connect with you?

Comacell: Readers can connect with me on social media. My handle is @Cellspitfire on all platforms and you can also stay up to date with me on my website www.cellspitfire.com as I keep it updated.