A recent museum study in the Netherlands found that live, in-person viewing of artwork elicits emotional and physiological responses that are 10x greater than viewing a reproduction or copy. Real-life art activiates the precuneus, the part of the brain associated with self-reflection and personal engagement. Yesterday, I was able to witness the moving impact of this kind of art engagement firsthand during an arts-based workshop at a local hospital. Those in attendance, who ranged from housekeeping staff to physicians to administrators, disclosed that they were feeling preoccupied and grieving a sudden loss of a colleague over the weekend. They then engaged in a mindful practice of art observation of a series of Barbara Bachner paintings on-site, analyzing how the artist may have used the materials to produce a desired effect, even tracing the shapes in the air with paintbrushes to further bring the experience to life. When invited to creatively process with writing and materials inspired by Bachner’s work, the mood was contemplative and somber. Then one participant offered to share her painting, a gestural autumn scene inspired by Bachner’s visceral color palette. She reflected how she is often confronted with loss at work due to working in a geriatric setting. The leaves, bursting with color in their final days, represented a preciousness around life’s impermanence, and the importance of appreciating beauty and presence whenever we can. It was a beautiful representation of the power of arts engagement and the meaning that can be created when we allow art to imitate life, even for a moment. #artastherapy #artheals #artsinmedicine #creativeresilience #artcenteredpractice Post and Photos by Sharon Itkoff Nacache ATR-BC LCAT LPAT PMH-C
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I’m often asked (in various forms) how is someone who is in their physically and emotionally demanding reproductive or parenting journey, and experiencing compassion fatigue or caregiver burnout at work, home, or both supposed to find energy to also be creative to alleviate their psycho-social symptoms?? Isn’t being creative just for professional artists??
To which I answer, thankfully, no! Any opportunity that allows us to get playful, silly, curious, embodied, experimental, and/or fully present are equally as valuable as creatively producing, viewing, or engaging with Fine Arts in some capacity. Why? In allowing us to even briefly stretch beyond the limitations of the mental load, to-do list, or Mundane and reconnect with inner—often dormant—parts of ourselves and awaken another way of being, we are offered a healthy distraction and similar release to a good laugh or cry, which resets the nervous system and helps us come back to center. Exhibit A: Spending a 45 min public transit ride w/ my older child without screens or snacks and, instead of him whining from boredom or hunger the whole time and my getting irritated or worried about finding him something to occupy himself and us getting locked into conflict or completely shut off from one another...we doodled! A game was born by randomly adding to one another’s creation—no rules and the sillier the better. Behold, our moment of connection, fun, “thinking outside of the box,” and—at his insistence—a fridge-worthy final product to be proud of. #arttherapylife #artistmother #motherartist #caregiverburnout #practicewhatyoupreach #doodle Post and collaborative art by Sharon Itkoff Nacache ATR-BC LCAT LPAT PMH-C (with child) |
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October 2024
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