Art Blog #59

Paul Connor
Jun 9
2 min read

Is art good for you?

'Art for me, personally, is a flash of the human spirit, where imagination, knowledge and skill meet to produce a highly personable piece that represents the thoughts, feelings and personality of the artist.

I am not an artist, yet, that does not diminish the emotions that I can feel looking at a piece of art. Of course there is joy and sadness depending on the subject matter, mainly it is admiration that something so simple, intricate, colourful, clever, bold and personal can be replicated onto a canvas.

We live in a fast paced world, where images can flash before our eyes constantly desensitising us not only graphic images but of beautiful images that we can easily take for granted.

Looking at art can be meditational, allowing the viewer to break from reality for a moment and experience another persons world view or perspective, it can also be educational, highlighting an injustice, discrimination or a human rights violation.

There is no end to the emotions that a piece of art can trigger and it is always personal to the viewer, sometimes that artwork just makes you smile and that is more than enough.

In a recent article in Psychology Today it looked at The Power of Art in Mental Health, by Jason Shimiaie with the key points being:

Appreciating and experiencing art can be a deeply emotional experience.
Art activates many important brain areas.
Psychotherapy can be enhanced by engaging in artistic processes.

In the article the writer describes 'The Brains Dance with Art' - When we experience art, multiple brain systems come alive. The brain’s visual and sensory systems decode colors, shapes, and patterns. The limbic system, the brain’s emotional hub, activates, stirring feelings like awe or melancholy. Interpreting art involves memory, symbolism, and higher-order thinking.

You can find the article at:

- www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/an-interpersonal-lens/202501/the-power-of-art-in-mental-health?msockid=0bd94a484f3c69fa0cdc58214ec76812

So what is the answer 'Is art good for you?'.

I cannot answer for everybody but, for me, art transports me to other cultures, other perspectives and other peoples interpretations of the human experience.

Art takes skill, imagination and dedication and offers the viewer a myriad of emotions and reactions.

It also brings beauty into the world and there has never been more reason to share beauty than at this time.