Whether we recognise it or not, the places around us can have a tremendous impact on our levels of happiness. Being in a busy market square filled with Saturday morning shoppers, walking along a quiet neighbourhood street at dusk, cycling through a forest on a sunny day as the light passes through the leafy canopy. Each of these scenarios spark an emotional response that has the ability to shift our mood in ways we seldom stop to acknowledge, or if we do, become reminders of how our personal joy is interconnected to the world around us.
I recently had this moment of recognition while on my way to an appointment. For reasons I won’t detail in a blog post, I was in a pretty foul mood, grumbling under my breathe as I cycled to my destination. Finding myself turned around due to a detour, I ended up in an unfamiliar neighbourhood and trying to find the best path onwards. Annoyed, I kept turning corners in the hopes of recognising the right direction when I was confronted with the bright colours of street art on a building facade.
Within an instant my feelings of frustration melted away as I stopped to appreciate the creativity of a complete stranger, being sure to capture a photo for my ever-growing collection of photos of street art around the world. Happily, as I navigated the detour further, eventually finding the right path, I discovered several more colourful pieces, and all the negative emotions of just moments earlier were all but forgotten
Why does street art spark such joy?
Based on the reactions to my posts about street art over the years, I am certainly not alone in my enjoyment of the public expressions of creativity. So why do so many people – like me – seek it out in their own city or those they are visiting? I believe our attraction to art of any kind is related to how it can provoke an emotional response. Whether we love it, hate it, or simply don’t understand it, viewing someone’s artistic expression makes us feel something about ourselves, the human condition, and the world around us. Psychologists refer to this as the theory of “aesthetic cognitivism.”
If we extend this thinking to street art, much of the same theory applies, however we are now experiencing aesthetic cognitivism in the public realm. Outside of the controlled environment of a gallery, street art has a way of connecting us not only to the feelings the art itself evokes, but also the experience of the city, its stories, the natural world around it, and all the variations of colour and light that go along with it. Just as the sight of water has the ability to shift our mood, so too does expression through art.
The importance of street art to public joy
If we understand how street art can impact the experience of the city, we can start to understand how it plays an important role in inspiring public feelings of joy. First and foremost, art in general helps inspire creativity. This doesn’t mean seeing it will result in you creating your own masterpiece, but it can help you see things in a different way.
The vital fact about street art is that it is free to enjoy by anyone, meaning the ability to experience it is not limited to within the halls of museums or galleries. Young and old, no matter someone’s income or socio-economic status, street art is free and accessible for everyone to enjoy. A moment that sparks their own creative thoughts and ideas, or simply, as was the case with me, improve their day.
Street art can also help to revitalise a space. It is perhaps the reason it is one of the first approaches to uplift a public space. Murals adding colour to an empty facade in areas of transition or in need of an updated look, creative crosswalks to change the dynamic and dimensions of a crossing or intersection during a demonstration or trial phase, and street painting as part of an activation to bring playfulness to the grey asphalt. Street art can be a low-cost, high impact approach to changing how we understand our public spaces while adding whimsy to our experiences.
Creative spaces for joyful cities
What makes street art in all its forms so beautiful is that there is no one approach. Paint brush and rollers, spray paint, airbrush, wheat paste, sculpture, multi-media – all are artistic expressions that tells a story about the place, the artist, ourselves, and the city at large. Incorporating art into public spaces has the capacity to create moments of joy in our city, lifting someone’s mood, and possibly giving them the inspiration they were looking for along the way.
In every city I visit, I alway seek out street art – if it doesn’t find me first. Below are some of my favourite examples I’ve stumbled across over the years. Do you have a favourite street art you think I should visit? Better yet, do you want to find a way to incorpate art into your project? Contact me and let’s think creatively together!
Modacity Creative 