I've often heard that painting is good for the soul even if you're a novice. I think it does more than just make a person happy though. It seems to be a venue to connecting with oneself at least in my own experience. Have you ever started a painting and after a few strokes you think 'that looks like an awful mess?' When this happens to me I either place it aside to dry a bit so I can repaint over it later OR I paint through it. Painting through that moment means you really have to focus in on the canvas and slowly test out a few more colors and shapes until you connect with your inner energy. I try not to think of the end result so much as the process.