Can Creative Activities Keep Us Young?

Another wonderful BBC video has popped up regarding art! Funnily enough, this relates to the last video we shared that was questioning whether there's any health merits to art at all.

The oldest artist in this short video is 93, and her work looked like it was referencing popular culture and plastic surgery. I hope I'm that in the loop when I'm 93.. and I hope I'm alive.. and still doing art.

Gosh, I can only imagine how lovely it would be to spend your time doing art journalism, wouldn't that just be grand?

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Art Therapy

Here's a handy 4 minute BBC video about the perceived power of art therapy, as well as the issues these programs face.

I believe fully in Art Therapy. Even if it can't cure cancer it has created many wonderful artists, especially through army based programs. You may not have known that last tidbit, but the army's art therapy programs really helped to revitalize the North American art scene (or at least the glass art scene haha) after the second world war. I'll offer some more information about that impact after I get in touch with one of my teacher's about the subject.

I know what I think, but what do you think? Is art therapy helpful to people on all walks of life, or is it just the equivalent of the 'miracle pill' that never makes you better?

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Bring Informative Material To Shows!

I don't just mean pamphlets, cards or web links that will help connect the public to you. Nope, this is a friendly suggestion that artists who are participating in shows bring materials along that will help educate any interested customers!

Some ideas;

Experiences: A pamphlet for the local school that you attended, or some workshops in the area (even ones you run), could help create a whole new artist, or at least produce a little bit of appreciation for your craft.

Outsourcing: Having your favorite welder's card on hand could make a world of difference to an artist that's struggling to find a good one! Keeping your supplier secret from other artists won't stop them from eventually finding it themselves, it will just produce an unnecessary negative experience, so share and share alike.

Leads: When someone asks where your awesome handmade wallet came from, why not produce a card and send a little business to a fellow artist (that you clearly like).

Collaboration: Whether the card you share belongs to you, your welder, or your textiles friend, networking can help produce unique, collaborative art!

Knowledge: Did you read a book that really influenced you? Why not keep it on hand and let an interested party read the back description, or leaf through a couple pages and see if anything catches their eye; that book might change their life. At the very least, make sure you remember the title and author (I always forget), so you can pencil it onto the back of your business card.


Can anyone think of other types of useful information that would be relatively easy to pass on?

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