Here’s a recent headline from London’s Telegraph:
Artistic men are happier, study finds
“The findings of the study, in which almost 50,000 people participated, suggest that greater participation in arts and culture may improve overall levels of mental health. Professor Jostein Holmen, one of the researchers at the university said there was a ‘positive relationship’ between cultural participation and happiness for both sexes.”
In mental health news, you hear this stuff all the time: obvious conclusions couched in scientific language, announced in the manner of discoveries. Should it come as any surprise that participation in cultural activities adds to well-being? Why would scientists spend so much time verifying this connection? The study and its press say more about our relationship to art than anything else.
The real news here is our insecurity. Art doesn’t just make us happy – it makes us human. Those who question its benefits, or need to prove them, already seem lost.
Douglas Faneuil is the founder of Living Proof Productions, a not-for-profit devoted to suicide prevention based in New York City. He also designs database solutions for companies throughout the Northeast.
Just to clarify, I don’t mean to imply that artists lead happier, richer lives – only that art is a necessary part of one. Note that the study refers to “participation in arts and culture.” Presumably this means going to the opera or to the movies, sculpting or scrap-booking. It’s not about accolades; it’s about impulse. We all have an urge to make a mark.