The Arts as a Wellness Industry

Here’s a look at that Trends report.

Every day, the people making these searches are being served an unending stream of ads for pills and products to help solve these problems. Rarely, if ever, are these people being served an ad that looks like the one below from Carnegie Hall—one that positions the arts as the wellness solution it’s proven to be:

It’s time to claim advertising space for the arts in wellness

The change doesn’t have to be a big one—it can be a series of small shifts that create a big impact. At any moment, on any day, with any upcoming exhibit or play, we have the opportunity to command this narrative. We can choose to weave a message into our ads that not only positions our art as excellent, but as healthy for the soul. Healthy for the body. Healthy for relationships. And these are claims that are in no way an exaggeration. 

The Arts as a Certified Wellness Product

The health & wellness benefits of art are tested, citable and very real. For example: 

• Just 45 minutes of art making can lower the stress hormone cortisol by 25%. 
• More than half of Americans (60%) say the arts have “helped them cope during times of mental or emotional distress.” 
• 75% of Americans say if their doctor wrote them a prescription to participate in the arts as a way to improve their physical or mental health, they would likely follow that recommendation.
• Dance activates a “neurochemical symphony”  which releases dopamine, endorphins, and oxytocin—and together boosts mood, energy, and connection.
• Viewing colorful art can trigger the release of dopamine, leading to feelings of happiness or wellbeing.

What Does This Look Like in Practice?

Because the feelings of stress and burnout captured by these Google Search Trends are so pervasive, you’ve likely already noticed content generated by both companies and creators that have populated social media lately. Trends on TikTok and Reels are full of statements that can be applied to this positioning, including: 

• “googled my symptoms, turns out this is what I need” 
• “this and not opening my laptop all weekend”

For an arts org, that might look like:

• “Your cortisol will thank you.” (Caption: “2 hours of live music. No screens. No news.”)
• “Googled my symptoms. Turns out I need more live music.”
• “This and not checking my phone once.” (Image: a packed, joyful house)

Art as Wellness Ad Inspiration

• Bookmark Capacity’s wellness inspiration board
• Search for quotes about art and wellness from history (this concept isn’t new!)
• Teach audiences something new! A carousel like this or this can be a great way to lay out a wellness concept, and share how your org can be part of the solution. As a starting point, scroll up and re-read the handful of stats we’ve already pulled!

The arts have been a wellness industry all along. We just haven’t been marketing like one.

Want to dive deeper?

Listen to the Arts Unscripted podcast episodes with the AVP of Arts and Well-Being at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center and the  Executive Director of Mass Cultural Council, who both explore this topic through a lens of research and a lens of arts and culture organizations and the way they are structured today.