No Art! Wait…What?
Lupines at Cedar Breaks National Monument, Utah USA
I could barely contain myself--I was shocked! I was watching a YouTube video of a woman who specializes in helping people live a more cost-effective life by sharing tips in her everyday routine, shopping habits, and self-care. At one point, she was sharing how she streamlines her housekeeping routine. One of her tips was to have nothing on her walls to dust—no pictures, décor items, or….ART!
Wait-what? NO ART? For so many reasons, I vehemently object to this concept. We ALL need art! Art is good for our SOULS! Art has so many positive benefits on our mental and emotional health. For me, art is not optional—it is essential to my well-being.
Research tells us that art benefits humans by providing stress relief, improved confidence, problem-solving ability, and improved quality of life (1). An article in Geriatric Aging states that, “Current studies in the fields of art therapy, music therapy, and other creative modalities confirm that art can affect individuals in positive ways by inducing both psychological and physiological healing.” (2) Additionally, recent brain research shows that viewing art increases the production of the feel-good chemical dopamine in the brain. This was determined across many contexts, and included reducing the suffering and speeding recovery of patients in a hospital. (3)
There is so much more documentation of the benefits of both viewing art and creating art that can be found with a simple internet search! I can’t stress enough the importance of including art in one’s daily experience. If you don’t buy art, then create art! Surround yourself with what gives you joy. And, hopefully, that includes beautiful images that make you love life!
1. How art benefits us all, as humans (2022, October 23) University of Victoria Campus. https://continuingstudies.uvic.ca/arts/news/how-arts-benefits-us-all-as-humans
2. Bagan, B. (2009, August 28) Aging: what’s art got to do with it? Today’s Geriatric Medicine. https://www.todaysgeriatricmedicine.com/news/ex_082809_03.shtml
3. Stein, S. (2011, September 3) Love, desire, and…art! Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/what-the-wild-things-are/201109/love-desire-and-art