WOMEN OF EXCELLENCE
THE HEALING POWER OF ART Georgette Huston
Q
uestion…Have you ever found yourself lost in a daze while admiring a group of colors combined together for your viewing pleasure? Have you ever felt the joy and/or pain in one of your favorite songs? Have you ever cheered on the protagonist of your favorite book? If so, you’ve experienced pieces of the wonderful world of art. Art is such a versatile subject that branches out into so many different mediums, and what I love most about is the Healing Powers that one obtains from using art as a form of therapy. As a therapy, art helps one properly process their feelings, it relieves stress, and it also helps with anxiety. With all that is going on in the world, art is definitely needed….especially right now. Ever since the first onset of Covid back in 2019, many people have developed certain fears and anxieties as the death till was on the rise. As an artist, this affected me heavily. So, I decided to do some research on ways art can help others heal. Processing One’s feelings is often easier said than done. Many do not know how to properly express their emotions. Drawing, coloring, and painting are just a few creative devices people use to release their emotions. Writing and playing music are also thought to be cathartic exercises to help one release whatever emotion one is having trouble expressing. Another way that art acts as a healing agent is that it helps one Relieve Stress. When one engages in releasing any pint up emotions they have through an art related task, dopamine, a neurotransmitter compound found in the body is activated. Dopamine affects the flow of the blood pressure, and we all know how stressful having high blood pressure can be. Something as simple as walking through an art gallery can help relieve stress. Studies also show that the higher the dopamine levels are as people become more engaged in art, the better the chances of them feeling and acting happier. Different hands on crafts can be used to achieve such bliss.
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