"Art-making laid the basic foundation for cultural and community among our earliest ancestors," they say late in their book. Without art, we as a people could not exist. And even if we can exist as individuals without art, we cannot exist very well. A healthy, happy life requires art in some form, they argue.
It helps that the authors expand art in ways you may not have imagined. Gardening or the presentation of food on a plate can be creative outlet. (A woman working at a buffet restaurant once complimented me for how artistic my salad looked.) So can listening to music as well as making music. Or taking a walk in the woods. Even looking out a window at a natural setting can make us feel better. They cite a study showing that hospital patients with beds next to a window tend to have shorter stays.
Art need not be good to be beneficial. They point to a study showing "that the simple act of doodling increases blood flow and triggers feelings of pleasure and reward. It turns out that doodlers are more analytical, retain information better, and are better focused than their non-doodling colleagues."
Music helps those with dementia. Dancing benefits those with Parkinson's disease. Coloring books reduce stress. "The arts have the ability to transform you like nothing else," they write.
Their book, unfortunately, does not make easy reading. Reading it often seems more like work than relaxing art appreciation.
No comments:
Post a Comment