Improve Health and Well-Being Via Art
Art is beneficial to human health and well-being. It has a positive impact on physical, emotional, and mental health and contributes to the improvement of the overall quality of life. Health and wellness professionals can implement art when it comes to the care of the whole person. Art functions as therapy in a certain sense, supporting the prevention, treatment, and management of physical and mental illness and disease. Art serves to improve people’s overall healthcare experiences, and aids in rehabilitation and recovery; it helps people maintain a balance in their health and well-being.
Being creative can positively impact human health according to many studies on the topic. These studies offer clinical proof that art can help people maintain their immune systems and lower blood pressure, while also reducing stress and elevating mood. Further, studies have shown that admitted patients exposed to art while in the hospital can heal more quickly. There is a direct link between art and positive physical and mental health outcomes.
Using the power of the arts to enhance health and well-being is becoming more and more accepted as a practice. Caring for the whole person to prevent illness and to maintain the best possible quality of life is of the utmost importance to healthcare providers and wellness experts; so, it makes sense that they use art to help them, knowing it can play such a vital role. Understanding how art contributes to greater well-being as part of an integrated approach to human health and wellness is growing.
RESOURCES
- “Arts, Health, and Well-Being in America”, National Organization for Arts in Health, https://www.americansforthearts.org/sites/default/files/NOAHWhiteaperOnlineEd.pdf
- “The arts play an important role in improving well-being, according to a WHO report,” Sally Robertson, B.Sc., https://www.news-medical.net/news/20191112/The-arts-play-an-important-role-in-improving-well-being-according-to-a-WHO-report.aspx
- “The mental health benefits of art,” Scripps, https://scrippsamg.com/mental-health-benefits-of-art/#:~:text=Art%20and%20mental%20health%20can,and%20provides%20a%20relaxing%20distraction
- “The Connection Between Art, Healing, and Public Health: A Review of Current Literature American Journal of Public Health,” Heather L. Stuckey and Jeremy Nobel, https://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/10.2105/AJPH.2008.156497
The Naples Art District (NAD) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit fine arts organization in Southwest Florida. An alliance of over 90 NAD creatives maintain studios and galleries in the unique business neighborhood; they open their spaces to the public on a regular basis. The professional artists of the District share their talents with visitors who have an interest in the arts, putting their wide range and variety of artistic mediums and methods on display during open studio hours and other events hosted by the organization throughout each year. NAD publishes a calendar of events on its official website, as well as a listing of classes and workshops offered by some of the member artists. If you would like more information about the Naples Art District and all it has to offer, contact the organization any time via the online contact form, or by phone at 239-249-1977.