Art Beats THE
Winter is upon us and while we
are in sunny Florida, some still get
the winter blues. Blame it on a
reduction in vitamin D or the sadness
and depression that comes from
hibernating in our cooler winter
environment and reduced sunlight
during Daylight Savings Time.
Thankfully, art provides some creatively fun and
easy things to help overcome the blues. Whether
drawing and painting, singing or even writing, the
benefits have been studied and confirmed by health
organizations around
the world.
STRESS RELIEF
Can’t draw? No
problem. Grab an adult
coloring book, pick
the medium of your
choice (pencils, paints,
watercolors, markers),
a comfy chair and
start coloring. You will
forget about the pile of
laundry, sick relative or
bad relationship. You’re
focused on what color
to use next on that tiny
flower or border edge.
CREATIVE
THINKING
Sometimes I wonder:
now that schools are
cutting art and music
classes, where will we get
our next creative minds?
Sciences and arts go
hand in hand. Just google
Leonardo da Vinci,
Samuel Morse or Nikola
Tesla.
Art has no rules. Even
without any type
of formal creative
education, you can still
push the bounds, go
outside of the box and
discover a shape or time
or a melody that didn’t
exist before you created
it. But exposure to art
instruction surely helps
develop creative minds.
SELF ESTEEM
When you create, you
feel better about yourself.
Merging ideas and
materials into something
that didn’t exist before
makes you feel good.
It radiates around us
and gives us a sense
of accomplishment.
It doesn’t have to be
complicated either —
do a paint-by-number,
complete an adult
coloring page, write a
poem, dance across your
kitchen floor, I dare you!
BRAIN ACTIVITY
Scientific studies by worldrenowned
researchers
show that the arts
stimulate connections
in the brain. Art actually
impacts cells within
both the brain and the
body to improve your
immune system. Art uses
both sides of the brain,
so the scientific-numbercrunching
left-siders will
benefit as much as the
emotion-loving-creativeright
siders.
QUALITY OF LIFE
When drugs don’t work
on dementia patients,
sometimes art does. Art
has been found to help
those with dementia
experience a better night’s
sleep, reduce stress and
alleviate depression.
Something as simple
as painting a canvas or
singing to a favorite song
are wonderful remedies.
So, I leave you with
this — paint something,
write something, sing
something or dance to
something. Get out with
family and friends and
visit a local DIY-style art
studio. Leave those blues
behind and let art keep
you healthy and happy.
Laurie Knisley, known as the ClayZ Lady,
encourages young and old alike to get their art on.
Whether it’s pottery, painting, crafts, mixed media,
journaling or needlework, she believes that art is
the cheapest therapy available and the most fun.
Laurie owns ClayZ Arts in Rockledge. She can be
reached at 321-453-4848, GoCrazy@Clay-Z.com
and ClayZArts.com.
EVERYTHING arts
Winter Blues
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