Benefits of Art: How Smile Art Can Boost Your Mood

Smiling is contagious, (even in print)! When you turn your frown upside down, it lights up your brain with dopamine, endorphins and serotonin. In other words, it signals all those bubbly vibes that make the world go ‘round. In honor of National Smile Day on May 31, we’re sharing the scientific benefits of smiling and how you can surround yourself with smile art to master the art of happiness.

“When someone smiles at you, you feel the good vibes from them, which makes you want to pass a smile on…”

Jasmine Wang from Smile Train, an incredible org dedicated to transforming the lives of children born with cleft lip and palate.

Benefits of Smiling

Signaling the release of feel-good chemicals, smiling has the power to act as your own natural antidepressant. In other words, it plays the role of a hype man for the part of your brain that’s drawn to good vibes and tricks you into embracing them. 

As a result, it overpowers any toxic energy flowing through your brain from feelings like stress or anxiety. “Even forcing a fake smile can legitimately reduce stress and lower your heart rate,” says Dr. Sivan Finkel.

Perhaps most importantly, when you smile at someone, their brain is wired to want to return the favor thanks to “mirror neurons.” Meaning: flashing your pearly whites can kickstart a domino effect of happiness. “When someone smiles at you, you feel the good vibes from them, which makes you want to pass a smile on to the next person, and so on and so forth,” says Jasmine Wang, Communications Manager at Smile Train.

Boost Your Mood With Smile Art

Lucky for us, happy art gives us the power to attain these benefits with the added bonus of creating a cool space that fits your style. Whether you want a pop culture icon smiling back at you every day, or the sweet and silly grin of your favorite animal, smile art can help you harness the health and happiness created by even the most reluctant grin. 

Surrounding yourself with happy art may not trump physical interaction. But it sure can spark the same feelings you need to boost your mood and remind you to look on the bright side.

iCanvas has a huge variety of smile art prints, making it easy to find one that fits your personality. Keep scrolling to find a smiley scene to lift your spirits.

Didn’t find one you love? Browse over 1,000 smile prints on iCanvas.