Our relationship to nature stems from our ability to appreciate beauty. Now that this balance has slipped, could it underlie our growing sense of dis-ease?

Our five senses are central to the human experience, with sight the most dominant. We are neurologically wired to enjoy and resonate with beauty, a characteristic that sets us apart from the rest of the natural world and is deeply rooted in our evolutionary history.

Take watching the sunset, nature’s work of art. As most humans stop to appreciate the sky’s transformation from one captivating hue to another, birds continue their flight and other lifeforms go about their business. The refinement of our senses uniquely enables us to engage with and fulfil our desire for beauty.

Our ability to see, hear, taste, smell, and touch has evolved to separate us from the natural world. That separation has a purpose: it lets us observe and experience beauty differently from the rest of the living world. Being able to pause and enjoy the magnificence of a sunset demonstrates our capacity, and our inherent need, to experience moments of awe.

But this gift can also have negative consequences. Our sensory separation from nature has led many to believe we are fundamentally distinct from it.

This false belief in separateness may already have had catastrophic effects, not only on human health but also on the health of the planet.

As we grow further apart from nature, we lose touch with our innate intuition to live in harmony with it, and our ability to perceive and appreciate authentic beauty becomes diminished.

How does this manifest?

  • We settle for processed foods laden with artificial additives rather than the nourishment nature provides, foods enriched with sunlight and health-promoting phytonutrients, in tune with our biology.
  • We opt for the comfort of densely populated urban environments rather than grounding ourselves outdoors.
  • Our attention is captivated by the screens of our phones, drawing focus away from our surroundings.
  • With time, virtual interactions may become the norm, distancing us further from authentic in-person connection.

This reflects a shift from integration with the natural world to opposition, a shift even evident in our language. Phrases like the war on climate change and anti-biotics, literally anti-life, underscore the disconnect. It is within this context that we witness the emergence of chronic disease, a growing epidemic of loneliness, and a pervasive sense of disconnection.

To tackle the root of these issues, the simultaneous demise of human and planetary health, we must begin to rediscover the inherent beauty of nature, and other forms of artistic expression.

The art-health connection

Art and health are intricately intertwined, a dynamic interplay where art influences health, and health, in turn, shapes our engagement with art.

When we interact with art, essentially any creative expression done well and with exceptional skill, it can trigger shifts in our emotional state by appealing to our senses, an extension of our physical nervous system, to stimulate feelings and provoke thought. Those thoughts and emotions are the result of a complex interplay of hormones and neurochemicals that can directly affect our physical functioning. Art acts on the mind-body connection and serves as a catalyst for both emotional balance and physical healing.

Conversely, our state of health greatly shapes our ability to perceive, appreciate, and connect with beautiful art. Much like the glass half full or half empty perspective, our current state of health influences how we interpret our surroundings. We find it easier to feel gratitude and appreciate our surroundings when we are in good health and vitality.

In a genuine state of health, our perspective becomes a lens that allows us to bear witness to beauty, both within ourselves and in the world around us.

By understanding and nurturing this interplay between artistic expression and vitality, we can unlock the true potential of art as a tool to enhance our holistic health. Engagement with creative expression will then feel more natural, triggering a positive upward spiral toward wellbeing.

From artificial glamour to authentic beauty

Could the growing sense of dis-ease in the world, marked by polarisation, disconnection, and exaggerated hyper-aesthetic beauty standards, be a consequence of our detachment from nature and the beauty it offers, a beauty that has been hijacked by the manufactured?

Does this disconnection set in motion a self-perpetuating cycle, where illness and a diminished sense of vitality obstruct our ability to encounter real beauty, the very thing that, under ordinary circumstances, would guide us back into alignment?

Artificial glamour, non-original and superficial, is epitomised by the profit-driven manipulation of detached conglomerates offering products designed to simulate allure. To combat this, we must engage with original art: landscapes, seascapes, black and white photography, dance, music, storytelling, writing.

Not only does this nourish our innate need for beauty, it also provides entertainment, facilitates communication, stimulates change, and offers fresh perspectives, allowing us to relate to the world in new ways. Particularly if that beauty is found in nature, it can contribute to human health and planetary health at once.

By reclaiming our health, vitality, and harmony with the world’s natural rhythms through real art, we can retrace our steps and return to a state of being, feeling, and healing.