Healing of Mind and Soul through Art

Introduction

Art always depicts the power and energy of an artist. We all know art is part of creativity; naturally, everyone is creative in some or other way, but an artist always knows how to express their creativity in the form of their art. Most of the time, art can work as a medicine. It has the power and capacity to heal any kind of ailment, it has the ability not only to heal you physically, but it can heal you mentally and spiritually. I know it is hard to believe, but it's true. Let me explain this theory through a short real-life story. 

Sharing a Short story of my experience

It was the beginning of Mar-2020 when the whole world was talking about CORONA Virus, we have been reading the news of COVID-19 hitting India. I was continually learning about it, thinking about it, and at the same time, the uncertainty was wavering my mind about the future of our country, world, and of course! My business. By then, I was not aware; we all were not aware that, consequently, to the COVID-19 outbreak, the entire county would go under a lock-down. So I was deeply engrossed in my thoughts and was exploring the various possible options of COVID-19 outbreak.

Then my thoughts and journey of getting a possible option of COVID-19 outbreak were interrupted by a customer. The customer in the name of Abraham seems to very excited as this was his second visit, but the excitement was not because he was visiting my outlet for the second time, it was something else. It took a short time for me to understand what the reason behind his excitement was? As I was in a hangover of my thoughts on the COVID-19 outbreak. So, to understand his excitement, I started a regular conversation with him. The customer seems to be a mature person. He has got a deep level of thought and understanding about art and almost all forms of art. After a few sets of conversations, we both are now having a sense of comfort, and Abraham finds it very interesting to share his thoughts, knowledge, and insight about the art and paintings.  

Abraham likes all the paintings and arts that I have displayed in my outlet, and he booked a beautifully crafted and designed Seascape oil on canvas painting. Even after booking the beautiful art form, I could sense that he still has some sort of curiosity, so I continued my discussion with him on the painting he just booked to ensure he goes out with complete satisfaction. When I was discussing with him, I realized that Abraham liked the art "seascape oil on canvas" so much, and he was very much pleased with the art but was a bit reluctant to ask me more details about the art and the Artist. So, after I sensed it, I have shown a few other arts and paintings done by the same Artist. This act of mine pushed him to the edge to ask me directly about the Artist.

Abraham: If you don't mind, can I know the Artist, who has done these beautiful paintings?

Me: Oh! Of course, it would be my honor, Sir! The Artist's name is Firdous, she is a very talented artist, and she can put life in any art, so the reason all her art looks so lively and affluent.

Abraham: Obviously! It's impressive to see how the Artist has depicted her thoughts and creativity through her art. Her art seems to do all talking. I am just amazed by her creativity! I wish I could be able to meet the Artist in person and thank her personally for such brilliant art, which has got the power of healing.

Me: It would be my honor, Sir! I will see what best I can do, but all our artists are spread across the country.

Abraham: Oh! That's wonderful. Can I get something custom made from the same Artist?

Me: Of Course! Sir, it would be my pleasure to get you something custom made. You can share the detail as to what exactly you need to get it done.

Abraham: I would like to have a custom made of a Buddha; it's tattooed in my left hand. I loved this and would like to place it on the wall against my bed. So that when I woke up every morning, I will be looking at the face of Buddha.

Me: Of Course! Sir, if you don't mind, can I click the picture of your Tattoo so that I can share it with my Artist.

Abraham: Oh! Sure, please go ahead.

Me: I clicked the picture, then I told him that I, too, have a fabulous Buddha in blue color, which I think will perfectly fit your requirement. Would you like to see the same?

Abraham: Does the same Artist did it?

Me: No, a different artist, but it's also beautifully done.

Abraham: Let's have a look.

Me: Sure! Here you go. I have shown the below Buddha art to Abraham. 

Abraham: This Looks good, but I would like to see the Buddha painting as my Tattoo, but you can send this painting along with that. Ah! Do you deliver?

Me: Yes, Of Course! I do home delivery. Would you like me to deliver the Seascape painting too?

Abraham: Yes, that would be helpful. If you can send this Buddha Painting along with Seascape painting would be very helpful, as I would like to check the look and feel of this buddha painting by placing it in my wall against my bed.

Me: I nodded, Yes, of course! Sir, it would be my pleasure.

After I confirmed that I could do the home delivery, he paid the booking amount, and he left.

Then I prepare for the delivery, and I visited Mr. Abraham after a week of his visit, and eventually, that was a week after Corona has hit India.

I was waiting for his confirmation near his security check-in gate. He stays in a very posh locality in an ultra-luxury villa. The Villa has a private pool, jacuzzi, a Gym, and a perfectly structured and laid out garden. It seems like Mr. Abraham is soulfully connected to nature as I saw some rare plants and flowers, which is enhancing the looks of his garden, so in short, the Villa has a well-manicured lawn, and one can feel the positivity just by looking at it.

When I entered and was glancing at his garden, I could see Mr. Abraham was having his morning tea. The moment he saw me, I felt like a string of excitement has passed through him as he stood up and walk up to me with sheer joy and excitement.

Abraham: Well, good to see you here, Mr. X. I hope you didn't have any difficulty finding my place.

Me: Of Course! Not Sir.

Abraham: Well, I am glad to hear that. Let's get in and have a look at the paintings.

Me: Of Course! Sir

The moment I entered his Villa, I felt like it's not less than a palace. The way the interior of the Villa is done, it shows how well Mr. Abraham is connected to nature and creativity. The moment I entered, I found a neatly placed recliner and a couch. Those are ideally placed with a distance from the television. The television was a theatre-like big with a curved screen. I also find Few antiques perfectly decorated, which can set the mood and tempo, and it suits perfectly to the interiors. There are few sets of designer fans that look like I have entered into an era of the princely kingdom. The Villa has got a meeting room, and the interior of the meeting room was perfectly done with some handcrafted wall arts and paintings. He offered me to sit.

Abraham: Well, Would you like to have something? Like tea or coffee?

Me: No, I am fine! But he still insisted, so I said I would prefer coffee.

Abraham: Well! I am very excited to see the paintings, especially the Buddha one.

Me: Of Course! Sir. Here you go.

"I have handed over the paintings to him."

Abraham: Well, As I have decided to buy the Seascape painting, so I will only go ahead with that, not the Buddha painting.

Me: Ah! Why, Sir, any specific reason? Moreover, it's the Buddha painting from the same Artist of Seascape.

Abraham: Well! That's sounds interesting, but this is not the time to buy this painting

Me: Well! If you don't mind, Sir! Can I ask you one question?

Abraham: Yes! Please go ahead.

Me: Sir, why do you think it's not essential to buy art during COVID-19 times?

Abraham: Well, it's because currently, people are struggling for their life, for their existence and so much of negativity, so I think.

Me: Well! In that case, Sir, this is the ideal time for you to buy a painting. You will ask me how to let me explain to you. Do you have any source of entertainment available other than binge-watching, gardening, cooking, and anything else which you could do within your premises? The answer is no so that buying a painting will be having another source of entertainment.

Abraham: Ah! Really, can you please explain it to me in detail how?

Me: Sure, Sir, it would be my pleasure! Before explaining to you, let me tell you one thing. I feel that you are very well connected to nature and creativity. So what I am going to explain to you, you may able to connect that.

Abraham: That's so nice of you!

Me: Thank you, Sir! So basically, people do gardening, planting trees and flowers seeds, and the reason is to remove their negativity and stress positively, right?

Abraham: Yes!

Me: Well, when people can feel stress-free and get good vibes from planting and gardening, then they will also get a similar feeling from the art, before explaining how to let me ask you one more question.

Abraham: Yes! Please go ahead

Me: When you visited my outlet last time, you have selected a painting Seascape oil in Canvas, so what exactly you see in the painting?

Abraham: When I see the painting, I feel connected, and after looking at it, I also get to feel the creativity & emotion behind the painting. I understood what precisely the Artist wanted to express through her art.

Me: And after you feel connected and you feel the expression of the Artist, how did you feel internally, I mean soulfully?

Abraham: Ah! I feel relaxed, stress-free, energetic, and deeply rooted in my soul.

Me: Exactly! That's what I wanted to explain to you. Researchers and scientists have also proven that art has the power and ability to enhance your brainpower. To illustrate, you let me ask you one more question.

Abraham looks Satisfied!: Yes, please go ahead.

Me: Sir, if you don't mind, can you please let me know who all are there in your family?

Abraham: Ah! It's only my daughter, who is 12-year-old, and me. As only we both live in this house, after my wife's demise five years before.

Me: Responded with grief, ah! That's sad to hear. Can we have your daughter here?

Abraham: Ah, of course, but is it necessary?

Me: It's good to have someone else here, as it's always better to have a third-person point of view.

Abraham: Well, then just give me two minutes, let me call her.

Abraham: Here you go, she is my daughter- Aramita

Me: Hi, Aramita! How are you?

Aramita: I am fine! Thank you.

Me: What do you do? Which call you study?

Aramita: I study in Grade-6, and I am very fond of Arts and crafts.

Me: Well, I am glad to hear that.

Aramita: Thank you!

Me: Can I ask you one question?

Aramita: Yes, Please go ahead uncle

Me: Look at this painting and tell me what do you understand and how do you feel about it?  

Aramita: Ah! It is a beautiful painting. It means lord Buddha is in deep meditation and relaxing soulfully.

Me: I was stunned by the explanation of a 12-year-old kid. Okay, so how do you feel after looking at this painting? And how were you feeling before looking at this painting?

Aramita: Before Looking at this painting, I was impatient because I was not finding my color box and was a bit tensed and scared to tell it to my father.

Abraham Shows an angry expression after hearing Aramita lost her color box again.

Me: Now, How do you feel?

Aramita: I feel very relaxed, I feel like as if there is no tension and unknowingly, I have told you that I lost my color box. Now my father must be furious on me.

Me: That's so sweet of you, Aramita! You can go ahead and look after your color box again. You never know, you may find it this time.

Aramita: Thank you, Uncle! I am confident that I will find it this time. Thanks for showing me this painting, it helped me to calm my mind. Thank you, uncle!

Me: you are most welcome!

Me to Abraham: Sir! It is what I was trying to explain. Painting and Arts can calm your mind, and at the same time, it enhances your brain function. Arts and paintings will have an impact on your brain wave pattern, emotions, nervous system, and can raise the level of your serotonin. So when you observe a profound piece of art, you are potentially activating your neurons the same as the level of an artist. So, this makes new neural pathways and stimulates a state of inspiration. This sense of painting is called embodied cognition. When you view art, or if you are deeply engrossed in art. Then it increases blood flow to a particular part of the brain by 10%. It is equivalent to gazing at a loved one. Psychologist Dr. Dacher Keltner, of California University in Berkeley, said: "That awe, wonder, and beauty promote healthier levels of cytokines suggests the things we do to experience these emotions – a walk in nature, losing oneself in music, beholding art – has a direct influence upon health and life expectancy."

Abraham: Well! I am quite mesmerized and impressed with your deeply rooted knowledge of art and the process of healing through art and painting.

Me: Thank you! Sir. I am honored!

Abraham: Ah! No No, I am honored to have you here today and to listen to you. I now understood it well and of course! It helps my daughter too to relieve her stress, so I am buying this on also.

Me: Ah! Mr. Abraham, you made my day! I am glad that you have taken an excellent decision and shown your interest in healing yourself physically mentally and soulfully during this COVID-19 times through a profound piece of art. I will share some materials with you, which can help you understand art and its healing power.    

Knowledge Sharing

Here is what I shared with Mr. Abraham: https://www.healing-power-of-art.org/art-and-the-brain/

Conclusion

After Mr. Abraham took both the paintings, I thanked him and left the place with happiness and joy of spreading my knowledge on the process of healing through art and paintings. When I was driving back to Art Gallary, I was thinking about how the almighty designed the system so perfectly that everything is well connected. On one side, the customer is buying Buddha to raise his immunity so that he can live more, and his money is ultimately going to reach the Artist as Food on the table so that he can continue living.

Disclaimer: This article is based on a real incident. Only the names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.