Published in Medical News Today, 16 February 2018, By Maria Cohut
Is art really quite useless as stated by Oscar Wilde in “The picture of Dorian Gray”? Studies have shown that being creative (e.g. in music, writing, painting, dancing) is linked to improvements in mental health as art helps people express experiences that are too difficult to put into words.
However, exposure to art and art-making also boosts brain power and improves physical health (including immune system functioning, and hormonal and inflammation responses). One would expect this to result from physical art forms such as dance, but both creative writing and listening to music have been linked to improved physical health. [ See full article: ‘How art and creativity can improve your health health’ ]