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About The Observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1968-current | View Entire Issue (March 19, 2020)
GO! magazine — A&E in Northeast Oregon 5 out & about in Baker, Union & Wallowa counties Anxious about the virus? Try art By Sarah West heese Art Center East T here’s no question that the novel coronavirus will 7532. continue to impact all of our lives. In addition to the significant threat it poses to individual health, our communities also face the conundrum of maintaining social distance. Here at Art Center East, we’re sadly watching months of planning unravel as we cancel everything from single classes to community gatherings and gallery exhibits — and we know many others in the community are facing similarly hard decisions. The combination of fear for per- sonal safety and social isolation is daunting. If you’re feeling anxious, you’re certainly not alone. Consider this, though: Georges Braque said, “Art is a wound that turns into 7532. light.” 5 Science supports what many who er practice art, writing, music and dance already know — it relieves stress. Submitted photo A 2016 study by Drexel University er found that just 45 minutes of creative Art can’t keep the coronavirus away, but it can help you cultivate a sense of calm in the midst of a health crisis. Consider what activity significantly lessens stress in you already have around you for art making: In the photo above, instructor Jan Clark demonstrates using different concentra- the body, regardless of artistic experi- tions of brewed coffee as watercolor paint. Social distancing may keep you at home, but you can create art anywhere, with anything. Art can help you get through the next few weeks with more peace of mind. ence or talent. You don’t need to be an artist, have art supplies or attend a class to events.... Most studies have evaluated the impact of expressive writing on people with physi- benefit. Doodling on the back of an envelope, arranging flowers, creating a collage from cutout cal health conditions such as sleep apnea, asthma, migraine headaches, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV, and cancer. Likewise, most of the outcomes measured are physical, and the findings — images, playing music or dipping a paintbrush in your morning coffee (see photo above) all such as blood pressure and heart rate — suggest that expressive writing initially may upset count. people but eventually helps them to relax.” For many people, expressive writing may be the most powerful way to work through A recent report published by the World Health Organization (“What is the evidence on the intense anxiety or stress. According to “Writing about emotions may ease stress and trauma,” published at www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat, “Stress, trauma, and unexpected life devel- role of the arts in improving health and well-being? A scoping review, 2019,” www.euro.who. opments — such as a cancer diagnosis, a car accident, or a layoff — can throw people off stride int) found that both participatory and observed art have positive overall effects for mental and physical health at all stages of life. emotionally and mentally. This means that any interaction with art benefits your overall health, including both mak- “Writing about thoughts and feelings that arise from a traumatic or stressful life experience ing and viewing art. — called expressive writing — may help some people cope with the emotional fallout of such
