Are you suffering from “Prisoner of the Wired World” syndrome?
If so, you might also have a bad case of eco-anxiety, eco-grief, eco-trauma, or even eco-despair. How in the world do people end up there? Simply put—many humans (and species) have lost their connection to Nature, and this “disconnect” from Nature has the potential to cause huge trauma and distress.
I now live in a town pretty much bordered by state forests and state parks and the 5th largest freshwater lake in the world (Lake Huron). Whenever I need a break from my “super-wired online business/fine art/graphic design world” I just take a drive or go outside and walk around my lakeside town.
Yet, for so many millions of people on our planet, easy access to an abundance of Nature just isn’t part of their reality. Is there any hope out there for the eco-deprived and wired-to-the-world weary? From someone who has lived in Boston, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, Toronto, and Tokyo, the answer is “Yes!”
According to numerous studies, viewing psychologically appropriate ART benefits human health. In fact, viewing “evidence-based” restorative/healing art can even “significantly affect medical outcomes such as blood pressure, anxiety, intake of pain medication, and length of hospital stay.”
Here’s an example. When I was younger, I created art for “my” self-expression. It was dark and dramatic and met “my” needs.
Layers Of Death (not for sale) by Dorothea Sandra
An Abstract Mind (not for sale) by Dorothea Sandra
Swamp Ghosts (not for sale) by Dorothea Sandra
Today, I create art for the health, healing and happiness of others. I “deliberately and strategically” use beautiful colors and flowers and landscapes to help “reconnect” my viewers to Nature. Connecting to Nature, even in the form of art, has been shown (by one study after another) to help us. Also, as you can see from the photos below, restorative/healing art doesn’t have to be boring. It can have movement and POP and dramatic beauty.
The Creative Thinker’s Garden by dorotheasandra.com
Flowers Going Ziggy by dorotheasandra.com
Great Lakes Flowers Singing by dorotheasandra.com