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Arts Help Us Thrive in Unpredictable Times
Chronicles of Change IV
This
is the fourth installment of a new column which will appear in each
issue of E-News.
In times of rapid change, it is helpful to have
tools to accompany us through the crucible of uncertainty we find
ourselves in. This is an excellent time to turn to the arts for comfort
and inspiration.
Consider dancing, drawing or making music regularly.
I draw and dance a few times a week and play music everyday. This adds an
invaluable depth and grounding to my life that I greatly appreciate.
These arts activities are very relaxing. They call
on our right and left brains simultaneously, which is also good for our
brains. Playing music or drawing a picture also requires significant
concentration. These are not activities that can be multi-tasked. So we
get a break from worrying or from trying to figure out a best course of
action as our brains focus on one creative activity and only one.
Once we are focused on only one activity we begin to
experience ourselves in a deeper way. Who we really are emerges and we
come face to face with ourselves. Knowing yourself well is one of the
best antidotes to the unpredictability of the modern world because along
with it comes intuition. This is invaluable at a time when the old
solutions no longer serve us.
The arts also connect us more deeply with our
humanity. When we are expressing ourselves in ways that people have done
for centuries, we forge a bond with that history and can even begin to
feel the support of the ancestors of ancient times.
The arts also provide a way to work through and
express difficult feelings. Instead of thinking about what you are
feeling, consider putting music on and dancing it. Or getting out a piece
of paper and drawing it. I think you will find these activities lead to
more insight than you would think.
The arts provide a fuller experience of being human
and there's a lot to be said for that!
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Chronicles of Change articles.
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