Inspire Your Heart with Art on Sunday January 31st by Bodil Jonsson

Since the start of the National Day Calendar in 2013 over 1500 national days have been listed. Many days are founded by companies that want to promote a product (National Whipped Cream Day) or by non- profits that want to draw attention to their cause (National Save the Eagles Day). Quite a few national days appear nonsensical, such as National Backward Day or National Nothing Day. Unsurprisingly, few people pay attention to these celebrations. Certain national days catch on however, and people do celebrate them. In my home country Sweden for instance, lots of people take the opportunity to bake and/or eat cinnamon buns on National Cinnamon Bun Day on October 4. A day I think deserves at least as much attention is Inspire Your Heart with Art Day on January 31.

During this pandemic many people have turned to art and craft projects to keep stress levels and boredom at bay. It’s been almost a year of recurring lockdowns and isolation; however, I suspect that the perky pandemic projects you engaged in or heard about back in the spring of 2020 seem long ago by now. Therefore, I suggest that we make this Sunday all about art to pick up our steam again. Revive a project you’re already working on or kick start a new one. According to The National Day Calendar, ‘Inspire Your Heart with Art Day, is a day to ponder how art affects your heart’. The reasons to do so are many since engaging in art makes us both happier and healthier. Although we cannot visit exhibitions or watch live stage performances at the moment, there is nothing stopping us from creating our own art. And of course, it’s the process and not the product that matters the most. If you cannot find the time or inspiration to create your own art on Sunday, at least post something in social media that might inspire someone else to create art. It could be a post about a work of art that you love, or a shout out to an artist you know is struggling right now due to the pandemic.

Another way to draw attention to Inspire Your Heart with Art Day, could be to share an article that brings up the health benefits of engaging in art. For instance, there is a growing body of scientific evidence that shows how drawing and painting stimulates the memories of people with dementia. Various art therapies have proven beneficial in several other medical fields too. A recent, extensive report from the World Health Organization (WHO) shows that there is strong scientific evidence that engaging in art is beneficial for our mental and physical wellbeing. In the conclusion of the report, it says that ‘Although some countries have made progress in developing policies that make use of the arts to support health and well-being, many have not yet addressed the opportunities that exist for using the arts to support health...’ (WHO 2019). To raise awareness of the connection between art and health is now a pronounced goal of the WHO. If you wish that art was a more integral part of our society, you can use Inspire Your Heart with Art Day on Sunday to help the WHO improve this awareness.

In the initial plan for this text, I had written a note to research ongoing art projects in the area. Of course, we all hope that we soon will be able to visit exhibitions and shows again. Until we can, keep calm and inspire your heart with your own art this Sunday.

https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/329834/9789289054553-eng.pdf

Words by Bodil Jonsson

Edited by Eryn Jones