Art To The Rescue: How Art & Imagination Transform Mind & Body. [Video]

"SOME OF THE TRANSFORMATIVE ASPECTS OF ART

- Art provides individuals a way to express thoughts, feelings and emotions that may be difficult or impossible to communicate.

- Creating and viewing art increases relaxation, enjoyment and inner calm and reduces stress

- Creating and viewing art offers individuals opportunities for social interaction and community involvement

- Art improves the quality of life, emotionally, physically and spiritually


"MAKING THINGS" MAKES US HAPPIER
The brain and the "effort-driven reward circuit" to chase the blues away

Using one's hands to make things is an effort-driven reward, especially if you find a creative activity you enjoy that has an enjoyable product"...

..............................................................................................................................


A Note From The Gull

Thank you, Cathy Malchiodi! From personal experience, I agree completely with the findings about the healing power of art.

When the speaker mentioned Haiti and self soothing after tragedy, I began to wonder if this explains in part why many artistic innovations arise from the crucibles of communities that are disadvantaged/oppressed/stressed on some level or levels. In the process of trying to self-medicate, to find an outlet, to work through their situations through artistic expression, they add to the culture in ways that in retrospect seem miraculous to the rest of the society. These lines from Singing Sandra's brilliant and poignant calypso - "Voices From The Ghetto" come to mind:

"Steelband music shatters the silence,
Harmony to conquer the violence.."

.....................................................................................................................................

"Patria est communis omnium parens" - Our native land is the common parent of us all. Keep it beautiful, make it even more so.

Blessed is all of creation
Blessed be my beautiful people
Blessed be the day of our awakening
Blessed is my country
Blessed are her patient hills.

Mweh ka allay!
Guanaguanare