What makes some places magical for us? Why one place and not another?  What is it about the place that connects us and makes us feel as if we belong?

Artists are drawn to beautiful places but certain ones speak louder than others as if to draw us in to hold us there for awhile…

usually because we need it.

How does art heal?

Studies tell us that art heals by changing a person’s physiology and attitude. The body’s physiology changes from one of stress to one of deep relaxation, from one of fear to one of creativity and inspiration. Art and music put a person in a different brain wave pattern, affecting a person’s autonomic nervous system, their hormonal balance and their brain neurotransmitters.

Art and music affect every cell in the body instantly to create a healing physiology that changes the immune system and blood flow to all the organs; changing a person’s perceptions of their world. They change attitude, emotional state, and pain perception. They create hope and positivity and they help people cope with difficulties. They transform a person’s outlook and way of being in the world.

In fact it is now known by neurophysiologists that art, prayer, and healing all come from the same source in the body; they all are associated with similar brain wave patterns, mind body changes and they all are deeply connected in feeling and meaning. They take us into our inner world, the world of imagery and emotion, of visions and feelings. This journey inward into what used to be called the spirit or soul and is now called the mind, is deeply healing. For healing comes to us from within, our own healing resources are freed to allow our immune system to operate optimally and that is always how we heal.

Above is a cyanotype (on fabric) of a contact sheet of negatives from The Olson House, Cushing, ME (one of the magical places for me)

(information on art and healing from the site artashealing.org)