During a recent visit to the Boise Art Museum I was reminded of how intriguing it feels to be surrounded by art. When I worked for an arts center my office was adjacent to the gallery space. Arriving at work was a truly uplifting experience, as each morning I was greeted by pure inspiration and imagination. How could a day that started like that end up being anything but fantastic?

 

Given my art center experience, it’s not surprising that my attention was recently drawn to an msnbc.com headline entitled “Artsy Men are Happier.” 

 

Since many of Consilio’s clients are “creatives,” they might identify with this group. We help professional service firm owners navigate the business aspects of their lives so that they may spend time doing what they feel passionate about: practicing their discipline (design, law, etc.), spending time with family and friends, being involved in the community, pursuing sports and outdoor activities, or being artsy!

 

Physical activity is often touted as the main way to achieve good health. However, Norwegian researchers believed that most people could not possibly participate in physical activities 5 days a week. During their research, they discovered that about 50% of leisure time is spent doing other activities that are also associated with good health, satisfaction with life, and low anxiety and depression.

 

They found that cultural activities were good for the well-being of both men and women. Specifically, men who volunteered, participated in clubs, outdoor activities, exercised, and attended and just watched cultural activities, such as theater, visual arts or musical events, reported higher levels of health.

 

"Men seemed to get more of a perceived health benefit from being involved in different receptive cultural activities than women did," study author Koenraad Cuypers said, adding that in both genders, there was a dose-response effect: the more activities a person participated in, the happier they tended to be.

 

Women who participated in cultural events, and attended church and sports events reported high levels of life satisfaction and health.  Interestingly, in other studies high cultural activity has also been linked to high physical activity.

 

 

At the University College London, Neuroaestheics Professor Semir Zeki and colleagues found that an increase in blood to the brain was related to how well the viewer liked a painting. “We wanted to see what happens in the brain when you look at beautiful paintings. What we found is when you look at art – whether it is a landscape, a still life, an abstract or a portrait – there is strong activity in that part of the brain related to pleasure.” “The blood flow increased for a beautiful painting just as it increases when you look at somebody you love. It tells us art induces a feel good sensation direct to the brain."

 

At San Francisco State University, researchers found that people who spend money on simple experiences, like dinner and the theater, enjoyed long-term emotional benefits, unlike those who spent money to accumulate large amounts of stuff. 

 

 

At Mayor Beiter’s recent State of the City address, he reminded us that last summer Outside Magazine ranked Boise #1 Best Outdoor Adventure Town in the US. Boise was noted for its greenbelt, nearby Payette and Salmon Rivers, skiing, hiking, biking trails, cost of housing and cultural activities.

 

Rain or shine, there is almost always a cultural event occurring. Summer is so packed with theater, music and special events that one simply cannot attend them all. Attend as a guest (Cuypers’ receptive mode) or volunteer to help support a cause that you believe in. In addition to potentially adding to your happiness, cultural events are a great place to meet new friends, colleagues, and to make business contacts.

 

Let’s not wait for spring or summer to arrive. Let’s get up, get out, get artsy and get happy!

 

For a schedule of upcoming activities, the Boise Weekly Calendar is a good place to start: