The benefits of living with Art, equal that of taking a restful vacation.

Living with Art comes with many health benefits, a daily journey to any otherworldly destination, a reprieve from the current pressures of life and the world.

In a report for The Telegraph newspaper, an article about an experiment conducted by a professor, in neuroaesthetics at University College London. In this experiment the researcher explains, “We wanted to see what happens in the brain when you look at beautiful paintings.” The experiment concluded when you look at art “whether it is a landscape, a still life, an abstract or a portrait – there is strong activity in that part of the brain related to pleasure.”

The blood flow increased for a beautiful painting just as it increases when you look at somebody you love. It tells us art induces a feel good sensation direct to the brain.

– Professor in neuroaesthetics at UC London

I can attest, being surrounded by Art is the most wonderful feeling. I like to pause and look at the art around me when I take a break from my daily routine, and it does offer a moment of escape, it energizes me as much as a hike down the beach, walk in the trees, or bike tour. It transports me to another place and time. Art appreciation should be mandatory in all school programming in Canada.

Art is the only way to run away without leaving home. – Twyla Tharp

But does original art hanging on your wall produce vibrational energies which heal? Does your brain process Art and create a feeling as if you had been on a two-week vacation?

Art accesses some of the most advanced processes of human intuitive analysis and expressivity and a key form of aesthetic appreciation is through embodied cognition, the ability to project oneself as an agent in the depicted scene,
– Christopher Tyler, director of the Smith-Kettlewell Brain Imaging Center

Like the Himalayan Salt lamps that have become increasingly popular, along with the practice of yoga and meditation; art does increase cognition, relaxation, and produces beneficial impulses from sensory neurons. As an artist who produces Art daily and in vast quantities, for myself Art is a continual process of healing and renewal, it is the deepest self discovery one can take, and in viewing an artists work, you are also taken on this journey and may even experience that which the artist experienced in creating the work.

The pace of COVID life can grind you into dust, and our ever-growing isolation and reliance on digital devices granting us greater access, at the same time can leave us frazzled and confused, left in a barren wasteland without emotion. Access to original art that exposes us to alternate realities, that inspires and deepens our insight and engages our heart and brain in playful or deep exploration, can be a daily source of enrichment, inspiration, pause, and a potent dose of protection against the stresses of modern life.

As an Artist, Art continuously renews my life and has served as a healing modality for dealing with life’s hiccups. Producing Art during the toughest times in my life, has healed my wounds. Art heals ALL wounds. Music being the most universal and easily understood form of healing in the Arts; visual art whether it be a painting, sculpture, or photograph has the same ability to heal and inspire renewal and good health.

Cheers to Art, let the healing begin!