Updated: Apr 22, 2020
Liver—beep—excellent!
Pancreas—beep— excellent!
Spine—beep— excellent!
Bloods—beep— excellent!
It was like disco to my ears. I was in the pink of health.
“Praise God!”, Dra. Lao my Integrative Doctor exclaimed. “How’d you do it, Rissa? Whatever it is that you are doing, keep it up!”
“Keep it up?”, I wondered. But what’s to keep up when for the past 6 months since my last visit, my bottle of wheatgrass was still untouched, Coq10— still a prescription’s scribble. The dumbbells need a-dusting, and white rice has lately been a constant dinner companion.
I rolled my eyes to the back of my head. This time, it was my turn to scan my memory.
“ Doctora., that would be my steady dose of Vitamin Doodle, Draw, Paint and Art Making cocktail!” I beamed.
Like the sun on our face or a good belly laugh, art restores our soul.
And not just our soul.
. In fact, in a review published in 2010 by the American Journal of Public Health titled, “The Connection Between Art, Healing, and Public Health”, researchers analyzed over 100 patients battling chronic illnesses and noted the positive effects that art activities had on these patients:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2804629/
· “Art filled occupational voids, distracted thoughts of illness”
· “Improved well–being by decreasing negative emotions and increasing positive ones”
· “Improved medical outcomes, trends toward reduced depression”
· “Reductions in stress and anxiety; increases in positive emotions”
· “Improvements in flow and spontaneity, expression of grief, positive identity, and social networks”
When the soul is restored, the body follows! Real physical changes do happen.
So today, how about getting your hands messy and do something artsy? Sketch your dog. Draw a mandala. Paint your favorite travel memory. Or make a collage of your dream travel destinations! Simply make wild art!
Mine was a self-portrait doodle to celebrate the joys of a sound body, mind and spirit. And in splashes of pinks, yellows and tangerines of health. :)
#rissacalicaart #whatalovelymess #stokeyourjoyfire #blazewithjoy