Arts, Crafts, And The Brain
I’m a naturally artistic person, so whenever I find out about a positive effect that art can have on a person’s health, it makes me pretty happy to hear. That’s why I was so excited to read a post by Care 2 that discusses the link between frequent involvement in the arts and positive brain health.
Personally, I’ve always known that being involved in artistic activities boosts my mood and increases my focus, but it’s reassuring to know that scientists have actually been able to prove this correlation beyond a mere placebo affect. As it turns out, people who are actively involved in one or more artistic hobbies tend to have a reduced risk of developing many health issues that impact the brain, such as Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), which can in turn eventually lead to even more serious issues such as Alzheimer’s or even dementia.
So, if you’ve always longed to pick up a camera and learn photography, or go on a walk and write some poetry, or even pick up a paintbrush and paint a landscape, you’ve got at least one fantastic reason to stop procrastinating and indulge in your creative interests.
Even if you didn’t participate in many artistic or creative pastimes or hobbies in your youth, you can still get the benefits of creativity at any age. If you’re middle aged, it might do you well to sign up for a class at your local community college; many community colleges tend to accommodate for working professionals, and often offer nighttime or weekend classes. Furthermore, you don’t have to be employed in an artistic profession in order to reap the health benefits that art can bring; having an artistic hobby to turn to after work and on weekends is plenty to engage your brain and improve and strengthen your cognitive function.
If you can manage to find a creative activity that connects you to others with a similar passion, your health will benefit even more, since being socially active is also important for keeping your cognitive function sharp and focused. Getting out of the house and taking a class or joining a local group or club can do wonders to improve your health, enrich your life, and help you meet new people with similar interested that you can connect with and understand well – so no more excuses on why you gave up that artistic passion of yours!