LUXURY // WELLBEING
“creative ageing.” Executive director of the National Center for Creative Aging (NCCA), Jennie Smith-Peers, defines this as “any opportunity for an older adult to be engaged in a meaningful opportunity to express themselves through art.”
examine the reasons and the function drugs have in your life. We are then able to treat the whole person… we believe that the person is a complex system of answers to their drug addiction.”
Feelings into Art Given an environment which is comfortable and conducive to therapy, many treatment clinics find that the clinical subject can also benefit from having a creative outlet. Art therapy for instance can be an important part of wellness treatment. Art participation projects have been found to be particularly valuable with older patients, offering insights into the way in which adults cope with the stresses of life. As the director of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Nathalie Bondil says: “In the 21st century, culture will be what physical activity was for health in the 20th century.” A study of 150 adults by the American National Endowment for the Arts showed that participants in arts groups reported fewer feelings of loneliness or depression, as well as higher morale in general. This is no coincidence. Psychologists suggest that the visual stimulation of art triggers positive thoughts and actions, such as improving cognitive function, and a recent
Self expression Singh’s course isn’t limited to the visual arts; “creative ageing” also encompasses theatre, dance, music and poetry. As Jennie SmithPeers says, “When you walk into a space that says, ‘Yes, you can—and we’re going to show you how,’ it’s a breath of fresh air.” Art therapy can involve written work too; often expressing themselves through writing their life story can help a patient reach important truths about the emotional effect of events throughout their lives. A realisation of these underlying causes and the sharing of them with a therapist can have a cathartic effect. Particularly for patients being treated for addiction, whether it be to drugs or behavioural patterns, the correct treatment environment can be an essential aid to recovery—and those who are lucky enough to be able to be treated in such luxurious surroundings can benefit from the most enlightened and progressive approaches to wellbeing in the modern world.
report by the Art Fund, Calm and Collected, researched art and cultural consumption as a healthy lifestyle option. It found that those under 30 are twice as likely to visit a museum or gallery at least once a month in order to de-stress, and that these people turn to art in museums and galleries as therapy. Elsewhere, art groups such as the one run by painter Ebenezer Singh in Brooklyn teach artistic skills and techniques rather than art appreciation. Singh’s class at the Brooklyn library falls under the umbrella of
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– Ben Channon, Happy By Design
www.artsandcollections.com
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We know that bringing plants and nature inside buildings can have a positive effect on ... an individual’s sense of self-worth
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