Art & Creativity

Art is present in every culture around the world, and its positive effect on health is undeniable. Artistic interventions and creativity have always been integral to holistic medicinal approaches.

Hippocrates believed in a holistic healthcare model, and in his school, science met with herbal therapy, diets, physical and mental exercise, as well as art and creativity.

Also, in more recent history, other therapists included art in their healing programs. For example, Vinzenz Priessnitz, in addition to hydrotherapy, promoted physical exercise, labor, music, and other artistic activitiesin his programs.

Art is understood as an expression of human creative skills, producing activities and works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power.

The main domains of art include music engagement, visual arts therapy, movement-based creative expression, and expressive writing.

Creativity is the ability to generate original, unusual, and valuable ideas and to produce useful inventions and artistic expressions.

Why does art and creativity cause well-being?

Connection of art to wellbeing has origins in the old archetypal patterns. Performing arts and creativity have always been related to a signal “I am safe”, thus the fearless state of relaxedness.

Art and creativity enhance awareness, self-perception, mental wellbeing, and inner joy.

These states are opposite to negative emotions such as stress, fear, anger, and anxiety.

Whilst positive states of mind release „happiness hormones“ such as dopamine, oxytocin, and endorphins, states of stress, anxiety, or anger relate to the stress hormones (cortisol, epinephrine), whose persistently elevated levels are among the main risk factors for cardiovascular disorders and cancer.

Numerous studies investigate multiple benefits of art and creativity on health and wellbeing.

For example, one study described 45 cardiac patients who exhibited reductions in heart rate, respiratory rate, myocardial oxygen demand, and anxiety after listening to relaxing music for 20 minutes.

In another study, mindfulness art therapy applied in 111 women under the treatment of cancer resulted in statistically significant decreases in symptoms of physical and emotional distress.

A further study sought to determine the effect of a 1-hour art therapy session on pain and other symptoms common to adult cancer inpatients. Results showed statistically significant reductions in eight of nine symptoms, especially in distress and negative emotions.

• Art unites, breaks boundaries, and empowers virtues of appreciation and gratitude. Seeking beauty leads to compassion, tolerance, and empathy.
• Art enables a widened perspective of the surrounding world, and promotes critical thinking, cognitive development, and resilience.
• Art has the power to evoke, express and reflect emotions. Artistic performance helps express inner feelings, connect to the “soul’s calling”, and improve emotional stability.

It is also the way to better understand emotions of others and foster empathy and compassion.

• Art and craft have an important role in social wellbeing, improving adaptability, tolerance, social integration, and altruistic behavior. Arts and crafts are connected to the qualities of sharing, generosity, and togetherness, which lead to elevated self-confidence and feelings of satisfaction and contentment. 

Persistent stress patterns that occur in subconsciousness, uncontrolled by the conscious mind, have detrimental effects on health. Subliminal negative processes of fear, anger, and anxiety cause stress patterns that don’t allow the body to recover and repair.

Therefore, every activity that allows switching the mental loops from stress to relaxedness and confidence is important in the prevention of stress-related diseases.

Art, craft, and creativity represent an effective tool to increase self-awareness and sensory perception.

Since artistic activities require elevated awareness, they help practitioners to become more aware of their body and mind, and therefore more prone to recognize and stop the pathological loops occurring in the subconscious.

• Art, craft, and creativity are interrelated and include various professions and practical daily activities.
• Art can be found in gardening, decorating the home, cooking, or any “Do It Yourself” activity.
• However, art is also the way we observe nature and architecture, or we seek beauty in people.

Any craft, when performed with a sense for beauty, becomes art.

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Also, within the Mehana Institute, we promote art & craft and creativity:

• Manufacturing the organic medicinal plant-based products, Mehana Herbals
• Designing the Mehana Fashion clothing, all of which is tailor-made by the local dressmakers
• Implementing Music, Chanting, Dance, and other movement expressions in our programs

You Are Welcome to JOIN US!

Author of the review: Kristina Höschlová