My granddaughter Gwen is one of my greatest teachers…she reminds me how to be open to life, in love with the experience of being Alive and full of Joy. Creativity pours through her naturally…she is a vessel that has not closed down.
Every single day co-we create Life. Of course there are many elements we have no control over, but we ARE gifted with the capacity to create meaning , well-being, and awareness.
When we tap into this amazing reservoir of divine intelligence – which is our Intuition – we amplify our well-being….mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Finally, studies are coming out that support the connection between art and health.
I love what Cathy Malchiodi, PhD has to say about this. “As of 2015, additional studies indicate that creative self-expression and exposure to the arts have wide-ranging effects on not only cognitive and psychosocial health, but also physical conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, various forms of dementia and cancer. One of the most compelling studies was recently conducted by the Mayo Clinic and proposed that people who engage in art activities (painting, drawing and sculpting; crafts, like woodworking, pottery, ceramics, quilting, quilling and sewing) in middle and old age may delay cognitive decline in very old age. These findings underscore the idea that it is possible to build a “cognitive reserve” through engaging in novel, creative experiences that have a protective effect on the brain. According to the principle investigator, “Our study supports the idea that engaging the mind may protect neurons, or the building blocks of the brain, from dying, stimulate growth of new neurons, or may help recruit new neurons to maintain cognitive activities in old age” (American Academy of Neurology, 2015).
It is your authentic expression through art making, music, song, movement, writing, and other forms of arts-based imagination that are central to the equation of why creativity is a wellness practice. So go make something and be well.”
