Ever felt the need to utilize your time in a more creative way, or wanted to understand the impact of art on health? Have you been searching for avenues to shed the stress, trauma, and anxiety of being bottled up? Travel restrictions and a pandemic have made the world more isolated than it has ever been. In the beginning, the unfamiliar situation isolated the older generation, only to push people from all walks of life into their homes, unable to move out.
This unique circumstance saw humans, being social animals, finding it difficult to adjust. There are reports of fatigue, increased worry, and stress amongst a lot of people brought about solely because of self-isolation and quarantine. The definition of health says that to be healthy, we must look at all the aspects -physical, mental, and social well-being of a person to determine his health status. The pandemic has inflicted its fury on the entire world.
Art has been a silent, yet powerful medium of improving health and well-being, not only of an individual but has contributed to better public health as well. Here are a few details pertaining to the connection between art and health.
Have you ever thought that there could be a positive link between art and health? Though art and the arts have been in use for a long time in health and wellness, appreciable recognition has not been given yet. Several studies have been conducted and some research is still underway, which confirms the significant beneficial influence art therapy has on the health of a person.
Several facets of art have been studied. Music therapy, visual arts like painting and drawing, movement therapy like dance and aerobics, writing, and the performing arts like traditional dances, singing, and theatre are a few common examples of art. The list is not exhaustive and can include any medium of expression that a person chooses to let his emotions out. Research shows promising results between art and public health.
How does art affect health?
There might arise a doubt, as to how exactly art improves health? From the research mentioned, significant parallels can be drawn regarding this.
If you’re interested in any form of art, it is seen as a medium to express your bottled-up feelings. It helps to portray the frustration, anger, and stress that you have. There is a non-judgmental circle of protection, the entire floor or canvas being your space to showcase what you’re going through. This also acts as a stress buster, an area where you don’t have to feel ashamed. This has been found to have a tremendous impact on any inner conflicts, especially for those who are slightly introverts. Art provides an opportunity to anyone, regardless of their age or nationality, to improve their overall mental health and struggles.
An art form, whatever it may be, is a perfect venue for creativity to flourish. It stimulates the mind to create meaningful entities, which in turn motivates you to perform even better. Apart from the slight hesitation you may feel while pursuing a particular form of art, the rest of the journey would be a fruitful one. It has been noticed that art can be incorporated into an individual’s routine. Once it becomes a part of the routine, it can encourage others to take it up, thus collectively contributing to the general public health. Other than the popular employee wellness trends that are being implemented in offices, art can be considered alongside those to help make workspaces a more creative space.
Art can appeal to an audience, like a painting can speak in different ways to different people. It’s a fine dialogue between the artist and the interpreter.
Exploring the impact
It seems that the impact of art has more bearing on the mental health of a person. There are several ways to keep your mental health in check, and art can be included in those. Practicing art helps in keeping your mental stressors at bay. A few research studies have also found a significant reduction in the stress and anxiety levels of a person and speeding up the recovery process. There’s a feeling of motivation which in turn stimulates the mind with positive hormones; a simple recipe for better healing.
Art brings a sense of community and togetherness, a common platform to share joy and sorrow. When many people who enjoy art gather, it becomes a stage where there are no restrictions.
In conclusion, there’s a definite association between the impact of art and health, with a lot left to explore.
