Creativity heals by affecting not only the physical body but also by stimulating, calming, and transporting the mind “to a sublime realm” (Lane, 2005, p. 122). The process of making and viewing art or listening to music has the capacity to transport both the patient and the healthcare provider to another place, “one in which awareness is heightened and the participants may experience joy and an undeniable connection to the spirit. It is in this province that holistic healing can occur, both physically and mentally” (Lane, 2005, p. 122).
The intricate relationship between emotions, stress, and beliefs and the health of our body, mind, and spirit is proving important in increasing the efficacy and cost efficiency of health care. Chronic diseases, for example, are a national burden affecting millions of Americans, with cancer, heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, autoimmune disorders, and mental disorders, costing the American healthcare system billions of dollars each year. Creating and supporting positive emotions and beliefs and lowering stress through art and music can reduce the burden of chronic diseases like these on an already overburdened healthcare system, reduce the suffering from chronic disease, and improve the health and well-being of those who struggle with many chronic diseases. Creativity and its connection to spirituality can heal by changing a person’s physiology and attitude from one of stress to one of relaxation. Creativity is defined as “the ability to make new things or think of new ideas” (Garner, 2017, p. 11). It is a means by which new ideas, innovative solutions, or advanced problem solving occurs.
Art and music connect individuals and communities. Both have long been recognized for their power to bridge differences and connect people of different cultures, backgrounds, and experience through shared experiences; thus, healing communities as well as individuals can be connected through creative expression, too (Foundation for Art & Healing, 2018).
Several social and environmental factors are converging and bringing expanded and vigorous attention to the relationship between art and music and health. An increasingly “small planet” and the ever-increasing globalization of communication, people, services, and experiences brings a need to embrace cultural diversity, especially as personal and societal philosophies interface. It is important to find ways to create and share meaning and meaningfulness—the fundamental driving forces in artistic creation and engagement. Finally, the use of art and music in healing underscores a definition of health that supports whole-person approaches to creating and sustaining health (Stuckey & Nobel, 2010).