{"id":1568,"date":"2025-07-05T13:35:53","date_gmt":"2025-07-05T13:35:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sickaf.amandaalderson.com\/dir\/?page_id=1568"},"modified":"2025-07-07T02:47:04","modified_gmt":"2025-07-07T02:47:04","slug":"art-health","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sickaf.amandaalderson.com\/dir\/about-sick-af\/art-health\/","title":{"rendered":"Art & Health"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Art helped with my rehabilitation and symptom management, and gave me tangible goals to aspire to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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When I first became injured, I was consistently prescribed nature, sunshine and art. Whilst nature and sunshine offered a place for rest, reflection and healing, the recommendation of art was an unexpected gift. As an artist, I embraced making wholeheartedly, gravitating towards media that I felt physically comfortable working in: being fire, metal and jewellery.

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Art became a space for my neurorehabilitation, helped with symptom management, gave me tangible goals to aspire to – and most importantly, presented me with an abundance of joy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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When I first became injured, I was consistently prescribed nature, sunshine and art.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\n
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\"Claire
Claire Townsend, Store:transform:process<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Amanda Alderson, Wayfinding ring stack<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"Kate
Kate Campbell-Pope, All the Leaves in My Garden,<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Making beautiful objects presented me with an abundance of joy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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As my journey and disability progressed, I very slowly returned in small fragments to my previous career in curation. Building SICK AF from the floor of my art studio\/ office\/ healing zone was an act of neural pathway rehabilitation and courage. Making beautiful objects created stillness in my body. <\/p>\n<\/div>

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Working alongside the artists and storytellers of SICK AF, I saw commonalities in our experiences. Art was their healing space too. The benefits of art were residing not just in the outcome – but were living in the ‘process<\/em>‘ – or act of making itself.
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\"Shayne
Shayne O\u2019Donnell, self portrait with poppies<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"SICK
SICK AF exhibition installation: Helena Bogucki<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"Christina
Christina Baltais, I Did A Thing<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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The benefits of art often reside not just in outcome, but live in the ‘process’, or act of making itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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And there’s science behind this art.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cognitive & Motor Rehabilitation ><\/strong>
Art-making stimulates neuroplasticity, the brain\u2019s ability to rewire itself, supporting improvements in attention, memory, and executive functioning. Fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination can also strengthen through repeated creative tasks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Community & Belonging ><\/strong>
Sharing creative work supports social connection and combats isolation. Participating in group art programs can foster validation and peer support in ways clinical care alone may not provide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Lucinda
Lucinda Crimson, Staying upright in \u2018The New Normal\u2019<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"Olga
Olga Cironis, studio portrait with artwork Found It<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"Annemieke
Annemieke Mulders, Essence, (detail) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Emotional Expression & Processing ><\/strong>
Art provides safe, non-verbal ways to express feelings that may be difficult or overwhelming to articulate. This can support emotional regulation and mental wellbeing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Improved Health Outcomes ><\/strong>
Across numerous studies, art engagement has been linked with reduced depression and anxiety, increased rehabilitation participation, shorter hospital stays, and enhanced overall wellbeing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nervous System Regulation ><\/strong>
Repetitive, sensory activities like drawing, stitching, or sculpting help regulate the autonomic nervous system. These calming actions can reduce stress, anxiety, and trauma symptoms by shifting the body out of a fight-or-flight state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Nadeen
Nadeen Brown, Mr Toad\/ Fairies, Fables and Far away tales<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"Brad
Brad Coleman, Tumult Number 16<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"Ron
Ron Bradfield Jnr, RESET<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Pain & Symptom Management ><\/strong>
Focusing deeply on creative work can activate flow states; a focused, immersive experience that reduces the perception of pain and fatigue. This offers temporary relief and supports longer-term coping.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Resilience & Identity Reconstruction ><\/strong>
Making art can help rebuild a sense of self after illness, injury, or diagnosis. It fosters meaning, hope, and a renewed orientation toward the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Susan
Susan Margareta Allwood, Kia Tamatane, lino print<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"Sunniva
Sunniva Innstrand, Life In The Shadowlands<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"Christina
Christina Baltais, I Did A Thing<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Spiritual & Cultural Healing ><\/strong>
Art can connect people to personal or cultural symbolism, heritage, and spiritual meaning. This holistic dimension supports recovery across mind, body, and spirit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the artists in the SICK AF, art making is part of their healing journey. And science supports what many artists have always known – that creativity heals.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Amanda Alderson <\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Annamaria
Annamaria Weldon, Thrombolite reef at Lake Clifton<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"Wendy
Wendy Lugg, Not a Bed of Roses 4, (detail)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"Catherine
Catherine Higham, Unseen Assembly (in situ)
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When I first became injured, I was consistently prescribed nature, sunshine and art. Whilst nature and sunshine offered a place for rest, reflection and healing, the recommendation of art was an unexpected gift. As an artist, I embraced making wholeheartedly, gravitating towards media that I felt physically comfortable working in: being fire, metal and jewellery. … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “Art & Health”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":1571,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1568","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickaf.amandaalderson.com\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1568","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickaf.amandaalderson.com\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickaf.amandaalderson.com\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickaf.amandaalderson.com\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickaf.amandaalderson.com\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1568"}],"version-history":[{"count":30,"href":"https:\/\/sickaf.amandaalderson.com\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1568\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1752,"href":"https:\/\/sickaf.amandaalderson.com\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1568\/revisions\/1752"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickaf.amandaalderson.com\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1571"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickaf.amandaalderson.com\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1568"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}