When Dr Frank Clark was in medical school studying to be a psychiatrist, he decided to write his first poem.
“All that chatter that is in my head, everything that I’ve been feeling, I can now just put it on paper and my pen can do the talking,” he said, recalling his thoughts at the time.
Back then, he was struggling with depression and had been relying on a number of things to keep it at bay, including running, therapy, medication and his faith.
“I had to find something else to fill the void,” he said. It turned out that poetry was the missing piece in his “wellness puzzle.”
“I saw an improvement in my mood,” said Dr Clark, who now sees patients in Greer, SC. “It gave me another outlet.”
The notion that art can improve mental well-being is something many people intuitively understand but can lose sight of – especially if we have become disconnected from the dancing, creative writing, drawing and singing we used to enjoy as children.
But there’s a “really robust body of evidence” that suggests that creating art, as well as activities like attending a concert or visiting a museum, can benefit mental health, said Jill Sonke, research director of the University of Florida Center for Arts in Medicine.
Here are a few simple ways to elevate your mood with the arts.
* Try the three- drawing technique
* Colour something intricate
* Enjoy more music
* Write a poem
I – Word Understanding
Intuitively – without conscious reasoning.
Robust – strong and healthy.
II – Have Your Say
1, How does art help with emotions?
2, What are the health benefits of arts and crafts?
a, Stress relief.
b, Confidence boost.
c, Increases empathy.
d, Improves quality of life for those with illness.
e, Enhances brain productivity.
f, Lessens effect of serious health conditions.
3, What is significance of arts in your life?
4, Does music help the brain relax?
