When voices rise together in song, dancers tango across the floor, or a painter takes to a canvas, they may be engaging in a hobby, a passion, or a career. Most likely, they aren’t thinking about their brain circuitry or the cascading biochemical responses being sparked by their artistic pursuits. But we now have imaging technology and wearable sensors that can capture that information in real time, giving us the science to explain what we understand intuitively—the arts can make us healthier and happier. By blending those rigorous findings with more research, well-funded arts practices, cross-disciplinary education, and prudent policy, we can add new tools to the healthcare arsenal.

This conversation was part of Aspen Ideas: Health 2022

Aspen Ideas: Health takes place on the Aspen Institute’s wondrous 40-acre campus in the Rocky Mountains from June 22-25, 2022. The three-day event, which has opened the renowned Aspen Ideas Festival since 2014, is where health’s biggest challenges meet its biggest thinkers. #AspenIdeasHealth #AspenIdeas

For more information about Aspen Ideas: Health, visit https://www.aspenideas.org/attend/health