Can an Artwork a Day Keep the Doctor Away? Here Are 5 Ways Scientists Say Art Can Make You Happier and Healthier
Art viewing and art making can lead to greater well-being across ages, nationalities, and income levels.
It may surprise students of art history—who know legion examples of depressed artists, including many who took their own lives—that research repeatedly bears out a connection between art and joy, and offers a host of other mental and physical health benefits.
Recent studies suggest that engagement with the can help alleviate depression, addiction, antisocial behavior, and more. But very few people are taking advantage of these life-changing perks.
The Pew Research Center’s spring 2021 poll of 19,000 adults in 17 countries found that just 10 percent of U.S. respondents said they found meaning in “hobbies and recreation,” including going to “museums or just having fun in general.” The figure went up to 22 percent among the British, 19 percent of Swedes, and 18 percent of Australian respondents.
Pic: Inside James Turrell's Roden Crater outside Prescott, AZ. Photo by Bonnie Jo Mount/The Washington Post via Getty Images.
