The Arts- a catalyst for healing
Sometimes we are lost, our fears have grown bigger than ourselves and although we search for a solution day after day, a feeling of emptiness floods us. Then, it’s time to ask for help. How have I reached this point? Will I be able to get my life back? These are some of the questions that keep our brains ticking over. More than likely, a therapist or doctor would recommend, among other things, rest.
When we are going through emotional struggles, we need to stop our nervous system from sending danger alerts to our brains. These supposed dangers trigger anxiety and fear to name a few. Our brain has to understand that there’s no danger, send this signal to our nervous system and allow us to feel safe again. It’s quite a simple mechanism and at the same time such a primal one that is extremely complicated to tame and regulate once it becomes derailed.
How do we convince our over-protective brain that there’s no peril? Disconnecting the negative thoughts through rest. And here is where the magic starts, because rest isn’t always a synonym for being a couch potato. It is maybe quite the opposite because apart from the obvious physical rest, there are others as important: cognitive, sensory, emotional and creative rest. These other types of rest, seek to rewire our brain by distracting it from the “danger thoughts” and allowing it to focus on other ideas and feelings. Meditation can help us stop thinking and reach a cognitive rest or aromatherapy might bring us sensory relief, for example.
Spanning from creative to emotional rest, we can apply the healing power of art. By relating to a book character, empathising with the actor on stage, dazzled by the beauty of a colour on a canvas, the arts can make a profound impact on our senses. Apart from being extremely moving, these experiences reconnect us to humankind's goodness and send those peace waves to our brains. They anchor us back to life through beauty. Sometimes, they can confront us with people who are going through similar situations as we do. Even like this, it has a positive effect on us. It’ll make us feel less alone and it’ll help us reshape our plight from a more detached point of view.
The arts can illustrate feelings, saying how we feel inside in ways we cannot express through words. That’s what makes them so special, they share the abstraction and intensity of our emotions, making them a unique tool for healing.
Next time you feel sad or run down, take a look at the cultural agenda or library near you. Let the arts help you.
Want more? You can read “Optic Nerve” by Maria Gainza, translated from Spanish “El nervio óptico” by Thomas Bunstead.
This article is a reflection of the far-reaching impact that arts can have in our lives. I am not a doctor or mental health professional by any means. Do not hesitate to ask for help. Love. ❤️
