Wellness expert and artist Debra Gudema explains that there is a well-established link between art and wellness. The study of neuroaesthetics demonstrates distinct connections between the two. With that, artistic works of all kinds can impact the human psyche and bolster physical well-being as a result.
The benefits of interactions with art on people’s wellness are played out daily in numerous environments. Examples include hospitals and museums. It’s also a primary focus of an ever-growing number of art-focused nonprofits. These and other similar good causes put the benefits of interacting with art on personal wellness front and center.
Elsewhere, listening to art as music or engaging in creative pastimes can have multiple therapeutic benefits. These include reducing stress and combating mental anguish. Furthermore, there’s a growing belief that health and wellness are art forms in their own right.
Wellness as an art form
Take yoga, for example. Debra Gudema says one of the most famous ways to achieve improved personal wellness is also an art form all of its own. Yoga eases the mind and allows it to drift to a place of peace and serenity. It’s the same serenity that art lovers report feeling as they gaze upon their favorite gallery works.
That, in and of itself, is an art. It’s an art centered upon an individual’s ability to achieve peace and serenity and, with that, better overall health and a true sense of well-being. Creating the finest artworks requires a skilled mind and hand, and achieving wellness is no different, needing practice and a particular mindset.
Remain focused on yoga for a moment. The art of the practice and traditional gallery-type pieces benefit the mind and body in similar ways. There’s a direct impact on a participant or viewer’s soul, a parallel seldom seen between other practices. If art is wellness, then wellness must simultaneously be art.
Glory of art
The glory of art, like sculpture or paintings, exists through an ability to soothe the soul with merely a glance. The same is true of hearing art as music or creating it in a studio or at home. By that token, Debra Gudema believes that art is an all-too-often overlooked form of medicine.
The mystic, poet, and theologian Thomas Merton once said, “Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.” And therein lies its glory. It’s the same glory you can achieve by seeing health and wellness as brilliant art forms in their respective capacities. And those capacities are yours to decide.
Professor Girija Kaimal of the Drexel University College of Nursing and Health Professions’ creative arts therapies program reports that just 45 minutes of creative activity can significantly boost an individual’s mental state. The same activities can also positively impact self-perception and interpersonal relationships.
Best of all, reaping the benefits of creativity as a form of therapy is accessible to us all. You can start with something as simple as sketching or coloring. Shown to help reduce stress and enhance mood, a little creative ability goes a long way. That’s why health and wellness as an art is something that we should all embrace for the better.
For more from Debra Gudema, connect with the nonprofit consultant on her website.
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