Art as medicine

“Do you use a creative hobby as therapy for your chronic illness?” This appeal in Plus Magazine generated a lot of reactions. The editors received letters with photos of bronze statues, abstract and lifelike paintings, poetry collections, wooden dolls and extravagant textile shapes. The letter writers had illnesses such as migraine, rheumatoid arthritis, Parkinson’s disease or they were recovering from a stroke. They all wrote about how much good making art did them.

So it seems that being creative helps in coping with a chronic illness. But has it really been proven to work? Professor Bas Bloem of Radboudumc in Nijmegen, who specializes in Parkinson’s disease, is convinced. “Art works like therapy. Being creative provides distraction, provides relaxation and can even reduce complaints,” says Bloem. “Dance and music, for example, help against movement problems in Parkinson’s disease.”

Guitar lessons in the hospital

There is something special about Parkinson’s disease: the medicines against this disease can make you more creative. “People with this condition are deficient in the substance dopamine,” Bloem explains. “Medications replenish or mimic this substance, and thus help against the typical Parkinson’s symptoms such as stiffness and tremors. But the dopamine-like drugs also stimulate curiosity, motivation and creativity in the brain.”

Patients can become a lot more creative as a result, the neurologist has noticed. “Some patients start making beautiful art, even if they have never done that before in their lives. People who are already familiar with painting or sculpting can suddenly start making completely different works of art. Beautiful,” says Bloem. Bloem gives lectures on the relationship between art and health. He collaborates with artists such as writer Ilja Leonard Pfeijffer and Julian Herman, former concertmaster of the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra. Herman lost the ability to play the violin when he got Parkinson’s disease. He was also given a dopamine-like drug, but it didn’t work for him enough. “We then decided to increase the dose. That was possible in his case; he did not experience any unpleasant side effects. Herman is now playing the violin again.”

Not only patients with Parkinson’s disease, but all patients at Radboudumc have the opportunity to take lessons in drawing, painting and playing the guitar as a trial this year. Bloem: “I really believe that art and culture make society better and healthier. There is an artist in each of us, but often this artist is still undiscovered.”

Fewer memory complaints

Learning something new, such as painting or playing the saxophone, may even protect you from dementia. “We know from research that someone who plays a musical instrument all his life is less likely to develop memory complaints,” says Saskia Nijmeijer, researcher at UMC Groningen. “And those who speak in two languages ​​every day from a young age develop dementia on average four years later than people who are monolingual.” This information made the people of Groningen curious. “We asked ourselves: would learning new creative skills in old age also keep people healthy for longer? Does it have a positive effect on thinking ability, mood and brain function if you take guitar lessons at 65?”

And so the researchers are sending two hundred people on courses this year and next year. They learn to play an instrument, follow a creative workshop or learn a language. The participants are followed all this time and their brain functions are also measured before and after the study. “We think that learning something new in the creative field keeps the brain flexible,” says Nijmeijer. “This creates a so-called cognitive compensation: even though the brain ages, the thinking ability remains at the same level for longer, so that, for example, memory complaints only arise later.” If the researchers’ suspicions are confirmed, that will be good news, says Nijmeijer. “I think most people will enjoy being creative more than doing puzzles all day.”

Expressing emotions

Creative activity can also help if you have a lot to process psychologically. Saskia van Rijn, art therapist in Amstelveen, gives creative workshops and therapy to people with cancer. Van Rijn: “Emotionally, a lot comes at you when you get cancer. The many thoughts and feelings and physical limitations that you have to deal with during the treatment period can have a paralyzing and disruptive effect. Talking about it may be difficult or not enough. Painting , drawing, visualizing or sculpting helps to express these intense emotions in a different way.”

In a video of Van Rijn’s practice, a man uses grease chalk to make bold strokes on a large sheet. A lady works with a fine brush on a colorful painting. Van Rijn: “Illness often leads to insecurity and loss of confidence in one’s own body. You are at the mercy of doctors and medication: in other words, to your illness. Recovering your own control is important. By making something, you get grip again and you realize: I can do something anyway. You no longer feel like the sick person, but a person who has an illness.”

Less pain

Various studies have shown that art therapy increases the resilience and vitality of patients. Van Rijn recognizes that. “For example, people dare to take more space for themselves in daily life.” Being creative can even help with pain. Van Rijn: “You learn more about your own patterns, for example that you are used to getting angry when you are in pain. Realizing this and trying to change it can lead to relaxation and also to less pain.” And what if you are not creative? “Painting or sculpting is not an outlet for everyone”, Van Rijn acknowledges. “But creativity is much more than that. You can also dance, make music or listen to it. Just don’t be too quick to think that creativity is not for you. What used to be, doesn’t always have to stay that way. In the course of life interests can change. Just give it a try.”

Creative therapy when you are mentally stuck

Role play, music, dance, movement exercises, sports, games, drawing or woodworking as treatment: in mental health care it has been customary for some time that you are treated with creative therapy. It is also known as ‘professional therapy’. It is given for personality problems, fears or trauma, but also for behavioral problems in people with dementia. Read more about it on www.vaktherapie.nl.

Do you want to get started with brushes or knitting needles? Tips can be found here.

This article previously appeared in Plus Magazine November 2019. Not yet a Plus Magazine subscriber? Becoming a subscriber is done in no time!