The most stand out figure to me in this study showed that LESS than 10% of the population takes art classes!! Whaaat? I have always been on a mission to change that. I am aware by the nature of what I do that art is more often observed rather than participated in. There are more numbers in the study that you can read here.

I am convinced that a large aspect of human connection and healing can be facilitated by engaging in community creativity. Dancing, Singing, Painting, cooking and just more creating together.

Countless times I have witnessed the connections and joy that creating together provides. I love what I do because it facilitates nurturing and encouraging our need for creativity.

“Creative activities can relieve stress, aid communication, and help arrest cognitive decline.”

Harvard Health 

“The title of a 2009 documentary film, I Remember Better When I Paint, sums up the findings of a growing body of research into the cognitive effects of making art. The movie demonstrates how drawing and painting stimulated memories in people with dementia and enabled them to reconnect with the world. People with dementia aren’t the only beneficiaries. Studies have shown that expressing themselves through art can help people with depression, anxiety, or cancer, too. And doing so has been linked to improved memory, reasoning, and resilience in healthy older people.”

The fact that we now know the amazing benefits of art for mental and physical health AND still not everyone is engaging in this preventative self care is a bit beyond me! I hope you take the time to MAKE MORE ART! I try to create every single day and that is not always painting. It can be singing, dancing or making a garden.

If you need help to kick start your painting journey find my Beginner Acrylic Painting Course Info Here.