The influence of art on our psyche
It is in the harmony of sounds and melodies, in the mixture of colors, of shapes, and brush strokes. It is in the embrace between light and shadow, in the echo of words and songs. That is art.
And once you expose yourself to art, there is lovely combination of memories and pleasant feelings that rush into your system. Apparently, art has an effect on us all, an effect that makes us more human.
These were the thoughts that popped in my head after attending a photography exhibition here in Jeddah for the famous American photographer Tom Till. The exhibition is titled “Discover America,” and it shows parts of the United States that are usually unknown to the regular tourist.
Once in the gallery, you cannot help but to submit to the magic in the photos; the mixture of history, natural beauty, gorgeous light, topped by the talent of the artist. And upon leaving this artistic carnival, you leave with feelings of joy, vanished stress, deep sense of relief and peace with the world.
And here it hit me; maybe this is what we need around here — more art. Maybe art will rein in the craziness on the roads. Maybe it will make people smile much more, respect queues, and say “thank you” and “please” much more.
The effect of art on human behavior is a famous topic in the fields of psychology and sociology. Freud, the father of psychoanalysis, theorized that art influences us on a subconscious level.
In fact, many researches that came after that confirmed the positive influence of art on those producing it or consuming it. For Example, art has been found to increase inter-personal skills, increase efficiency and self-esteem, improve cultural capital, relieve stress, and increase tolerance of others.
Moreover, in an interesting research project conducted by the London School of Economics to measure happiness levels associated with different activities, art related activities scored a surprise. Out of the top six most happiness inducing activities, four are art related, following intimacy that comes at the top, and exercising that comes second. Going to theater, concerts, singing and performing, going to exhibitions and museums, manual hobbies and crafts, cover the rest of the top six list respectively.
Sadly, art makes a shy presence in our lives. It is not supported, and, in a lot of time, it is even frowned upon and discouraged. The art related activities and exhibitions in the country are rare, and whenever they come about, it’s usually for the few elite.
The Arts in all its forms are absent from our schools, and from our society. We have no theaters, music halls, national galleries, and museums.
It is sad that in a city like Jeddah, with its rich history and culture, there is not a single museum to tell its story, and the story of its neighbors, the holy lands of Makkah and Madinah (with all due respect to the small, self- operated museums in the city.)
Maybe it is time to rethink the importance of art in reshaping our lives, and elevating our society. Maybe it is one of the missing ingredients in the process of modernizing the country and taking it forward.
In a nutshell, art makes you happy, and being happy makes you, automatically, a better person.
@ smaldosari
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