Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 16, 2026
06:24
Examining Changes in HRV and Emotion Following Artmaking with Three Different Art Materials
Published on: January 11, 2020
Creativity and health: an anti-humanist reflection.
1University of Sheffield, Regent Street, Sheffield S1 4DA, UK. n.j.fox@sheffield.ac.uk
Health (London, England : 1997)
|December 15, 2012
Summary
Engaging with creative arts offers health benefits, explained through an anti-humanist lens. Health is the body's capacity to interact within complex networks, linking creative activity and well-being.
Area of Science:
- Sociology
- Philosophy of Health
- Arts and Health
Background:
- Existing research suggests health benefits from creative arts engagement.
- Explanations for this association are often underdeveloped or lack a strong theoretical basis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore creativity and health from an anti-humanist perspective.
- To develop a Deleuze-inspired theoretical framework for understanding the creativity-health relationship.
- To analyze how creative production and reception impact health and its implications for sociology and arts in healthcare.
Main Methods:
- Theoretical analysis drawing on anti-humanist philosophy and Deleuze's concepts.
- Conceptualizing creativity as an experimental flow within assemblages.
- Defining health as the capacity of a body to interact with these assemblages.
Main Results:
- Creativity is framed as an active, experimenting flow within networks of bodies, things, ideas, and institutions.
- Health is redefined as a body's capacity to affect and be affected by these assemblages.
- A direct link between creative activity and health is established through this framework.
Conclusions:
- The theoretical framework provides a robust explanation for the observed health benefits of creative arts engagement.
- Creative production and reception significantly influence health outcomes.
- Findings have implications for sociological understanding and the practice of arts in healthcare settings.
Related Concept Videos
01:24Humanistic Psychology
Humanistic psychology emerged in the mid-20th century as a response to the deterministic and pessimistic nature of behaviorism and psychoanalysis. While behaviorism focused on observable behaviors influenced by the environment and psychoanalysis delved into unconscious motivations, both theories suggested that human actions lacked free will. In contrast, humanistic psychology offers a perspective that emphasizes the innate potential for goodness and growth within every individual.
This approach...
This approach...
01:24Humanistic Therapy
Humanistic therapies emphasize personal growth, self-understanding, and the fulfillment of human potential. Rooted in the belief that individuals inherently strive toward self-actualization, these approaches encourage clients to explore their feelings and experiences in a supportive, nonjudgmental environment. Humanistic therapies differ from psychodynamic approaches by focusing on conscious experiences, present circumstances, and the potential for self-improvement rather than past conflicts...
01:29Concepts of Health and Illness
Health is a condition of the body, mind, and spirit where an individual remains free from illness. Similarly, wellness is an active state, including living a lifestyle that promotes physical, mental, and emotional health. Physical health is critical for the overall well-being and can be affected by lifestyle, activity level, diet, and behavior. The highest attainable standard of health is a fundamental and universal human right. Consider Lisa, a fifteen-year-old born with congenital...
01:23Carl Rogers' Humanistic Perspective on Personality
Carl Rogers, a key figure in humanistic psychology, believed that individuals possess an innate potential for growth and fulfillment. According to his model of personality, three significant components define an individual: the organism, the self, and conditions of worth.
The organism refers to an individual's inherent blueprint, which Rogers saw as innately positive and directed toward helping others, unlike Freud's view of the id as driven by base impulses. The self is a person's...
The organism refers to an individual's inherent blueprint, which Rogers saw as innately positive and directed toward helping others, unlike Freud's view of the id as driven by base impulses. The self is a person's...
01:28Maslow's Humanistic Approach on Personality
Abraham Maslow, a prominent figure in humanistic psychology, developed a theory centered on self-actualization, which he placed at the top of his hierarchy of needs. According to Maslow, self-actualization represents achieving one's full potential and is a rare accomplishment attained by approximately 2% of the population. Maslow identified notable historical figures such as Thomas Jefferson, Mahatma Gandhi, Helen Keller, and Martin Luther King Jr. as examples of self-actualized individuals.
02:57The Sense of Self: Reflected Self-Appraisal and Social Comparison
According to Charles Cooley, we base our image on what we think other people see (Cooley 1902). We imagine how we must appear to others, then react to this speculation. We don certain clothes, prepare our hair in a particular manner, wear makeup, use cologne, and the like—all with the notion that our presentation of ourselves is going to affect how others perceive us. We expect a certain reaction, and, if lucky, we get the one we desire and feel good about it. But more than that, Cooley...