How Art Helps Us Find Meaning When We Need It Most

Many people denounce the arts, deplete their funding, badmouth art degrees as ‘unnecessary,’ and the profession of dreamers and idealists. However, those same critics will spend their evenings watching the latest Studio Ghibli film, their weekends perusing art exhibitions, and their sleepy Sunday mornings curled up with a book they cannot put down.

The arts are not just a secondary thought; they are not reserved for only those who are lost or struggling; they are the elixirs of humanity and an occupation that makes life truly worth living.

How Art Shapes Us From Childhood

No matter your age, there are probably certain films that marked your childhood. It could have been during the strange nostalgia of the 80s with Jim Henson’s masterpiece Labyrinth, or the Disney princesses who were losing shoes and dancing beneath the moonlight with their handsome Prince Charming. Whatever film is reminiscent of your youth, it was likely one of your first affairs with the healing power of art. 

Studio Ghibli and the Philosophy of Gentle Storytelling

There is an ‘inner child’ that exists within our souls, the little boys or girls we were many years ago, who love to watch certain cartoons and feel that lost sense of comfort in our adult lives. Japanese animator and filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki is one such provider of dreamy comfort.

His art, in the form of the films of Studio Ghibli, captures a sense of nostalgia and magic difficult to replicate. Although Miyazaki explores detailed, fantastical worlds, he rarely explains them. Instead, he allows viewers to become absorbed by them, to float into the fantastical Spirit Realm or enchanted forests, and simply experience.

Miyazaki works with his hands, rejecting much modern technology and spending years perfecting the animation of his films. Every frame we watch is drawn and coloured by hand, and each expression and movement has been carefully loved for and refined. 

Hayao Miyazaki’s Art of Simplicity and Humanity

No matter how far from reality Miyazaki’s films are, they never stray from his core message: there is beauty in simplicity. Themes of nature, family, and community remain the beating heart in each masterpiece. His characters do not magically gain courage or strength, but they earn it, often with the help of the people surrounding them.

Although his worlds may often look perfect, Miyazaki does not search for faultlessness of character. His protagonists have flaws; perhaps they are naïve or overly timid, perhaps they are escaping a reality they do not wish to face. More importantly, they are human; they are reflections of the people he knows will watch. And, in turn, these characters can give us the strength to improve and serve as reminders to appreciate the people and relationships that exist in our own worlds. 

Can Films and Games Improve Mental Health?

A recent study found that both the playing of open-world games, such as The Legend of Zelda, and watching Studio Ghibli films can increase overall levels of happiness. The overall level of anxiety in the general public is mounting at an alarming rate, and most forms of technology aren’t doing much to help.

Studio Ghibli, however, is a pigeon amongst crows. Watching Spirited Away or Princess Mononoke can do more than improve your mood; it can also reduce your stress levels and even increase personal feelings of worth and meaning. Studio Ghibli seems to possess the unique ability to gently induce a sense of nostalgia across viewers of all ages. 

How Creative Expression Supports Healing

Art can heal, and it is no modern phenomenon. A creative piece of work induces emotion; it can touch us in ways we could never expect, through reflecting a memory or belief from deep within us. Creative expression is not only for the Pablo Picassos of the world, but should be accessible to all.

Art therapy is used to facilitate the healing process and explore complex emotions and expressions through creation. Another study found that spending 45 minutes creating, with the use of collage materials like clay, dramatically reduces our stress hormones. Whether you create or observe, simply being part of the world of art can improve your mental and even physical health.

Finding Meaning Through Stories, Beauty, and Perseverance

The majority of challenges, especially regarding mental health, call for multifaceted solutions. There is no one cure for anything, because humans are complex people who require nuance and attention. In one of Miyazaki’s most beloved films, Princess Mononoke, lies a bittersweet quote: ‘Life is suffering. It is hard. The world is cursed. But still, you find reasons to keep on living.’

Artists are not idealists; they are incredible observers, both of the beauties and the tragedies lying within their lives. Suffering is a natural part of human nature, but so is perseverance. We find the strength to move forward, despite difficulty and sadness, because humans are, above all, creatures of determination.

Whether we read a book or write one, whether we create a film or watch one, we notice that art has a funny way of healing. It takes time and courage, but similar to the characters in the worlds of Studio Ghibli, we all just find reasons to keep on living.