Add A Bit Of Colour

The fall season in Ontario brings a lot of colour through the beauty of the changing leaves. Movement from a steady vista of greenery in the summer months to a vibrant panorama of reds, yellows, oranges, and everything in between sparks a sense that life is good and possibilities are endless. Perspectives change. Smiles replace frowns. Positivity displaces negativity. Peace supplants anxiety.

The varying hues lighten our heavy hearts as we soak in the beauty of our lively surroundings. Take a stroll through a forest glade this week and sense the shift in your own heart, mind, and body.

Speaking to such an experience the writers of Your Brain On Art (Susan Magsamen and Ivy Ross) articulate that

the vibrancy of a multifaceted, immersive environment (a walk in a forest) becomes a place of positive change and mental health.

Specifically, they contend that

Arts experiences and aesthetic places provide enriched environments—places that offer a variety of multisensory stimulation, which, in turn, triggers the neuroplasticity in your brain.

The long and short of it is that we foster our overall well-being by intentionally engaging in artistic and aesthetic experiences. When we go to an art gallery or take in a concert; walk in a park or bike along the lake (maybe go for a swim?)— anything that breaks us out of our routine will positively impact us. Again our authors explain:

It’s a willingness to invite change. Inviting artistic moments of awe and wonder is one way to generate that movement. (Magsamen and Ross)

A takeaway:

Add a bit of colour to your life. Change it up. Immerse yourself into nature. Seek out creative experiences. As you do so you will feel better and experience a connectivity to others and the world around you.