Art as Therapy
If you’ve been painting or doing some other form of art you may have found you feel happy, free, or calm after engaging in your craft for a little while.
Interestingly, it’s not just me and you. Studies are showing that there are actually physical and mental health benefits from spending time doing art. It can be visual or movement (dance) or musical or creative writing.
In one study, the specific aim was to determine the effects of a 1-hour art therapy session on pain and other symptoms common to adult cancer inpatients.
“There were statistically significant reductions in 8 of the 9 symptoms measured” by various scales used by the researchers.
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2804629/
Studies have also shown that painting and drawing can relieve pain in pediatric cancer patients, and that dementia patients who practice music may improve their memory. You can read more about that here.
Kristine Crane. https://news.yahoo.com/paint-write-sing-arts-help-heal-patients-210029938.html
Now you may be saying (like me) “they needed a study to prove that?” But it is nice to know that once there are some studies, the knowledge will be put into practice on a larger scale. Hospitals are hiring firms to fill their facilities with art that has been shown to lift patients’ spirits. A hospital in Cleveland actually hands out headphones so you can have a walking art tour as if you were in a museum. What a FABULOUS idea. I just love knowing that people who may never step a foot in a museum may be exposed to art when they are at a low point.
If you feel like you could use a pick-me-up, why not pick up a brush and do a little painting. You don’t even have to paint “something” to get the benefits. You can just cover a piece of paper with color. It is very soothing. Turn on your favorite music. Light a candle and get painting.
Artful-Essence 