You don’t have to be good at arts, for the arts to be good for you.
As the mental health crisis increases, Good Arts, Good Mental Health (GAGMH) are proud to contribute to community mental wellbeing by launching a new initiative based on award-winning research.
But how, you may ask? By creating a campaign that highlights the importance of 'recreational arts' to mental wellbeing. The campaign promotes accessible, and inexpensive ways, to enhance mental wellbeing through the arts, but importantly, takes into consideration our busy modern lifestyles and cost-of-living pressures.
According to Dr. Christina Davies, Chief Investigator of GAGMH, “You don’t have to be good at art for the arts to be good for you. Our campaign aims to empower you to do the art that makes YOU feel GOOD, to TRY (no pressure) for an ‘arts dose’ of two hours per week, because this could make a difference to your mental health.”
The GAGMH team pulls back the curtain on the arts-mental health relationship and defines “recreational arts” as more than just painting, ballet, or theatre. It includes the act of reading books, listening to music, photography with a smartphone, colouring in, crafternoons with family, singing, dancing, sewing, and attending various live performances, and concerts – the list is endless!
“Arts activities are fun and something we do as part of our everyday life for enjoyment, entertainment, or as a hobby,” Dr. Davies says. “Arts engagement also increases our happiness, joy, confidence, self-esteem, reduces social isolation, and provides stress relief.”
When we break this down into bite-sized pieces, this means that you could be subconsciously engaging in the arts by listening to your favourite podcast or radio station on the way to work, when you listen to music while reading by the fireplace, when you sing your favourite sporting team's song, when you attend a music festival by the beach, or attend your child’s dance recital, or even watch a livestream arts event on YouTube or Twitch!
Whether you’re reading this article on the train, singing along to your sporting team’s song, scribbling in a journal, knitting a jumper for your pet, or attending an evening pottery, dancing, singing, or painting workshop (maybe with some wine!) – you are actively engaging with your weekly arts dose!
Designed with the input from over 3,000 community members, government representatives, industry professionals, and philanthropists, the mass media component of GAGMH will be launching soon.
Resources to get your arts dose started are free to download from the Good Arts, Good Mental Health website at The University of Western Australia.
“We invite everyone to join us on this creative journey towards better mental health,” Dr Davies says.
To keep up to date with the campaign, follow @goodartsgoodmentalhealth across Facebook and Instagram.
