"Little Wonders"

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Last week I got stuck into my Module 2 handbook and started noting through each section. To say I have feeling overwhelmed is an understatement! I remember this feeling from Module 1, but thought coming into Module 2 I would feel clearer on where and what i was doing. However, I must accept that its okay to not know everything at the beginning and just to take it step by step. 

Therefore, I set myself the challenge to investigate "Little Wonders!"  These are the areas of our practice that we feel we need to research and investigate into. The areas that we find fascinating and want to know more about. This "Little Wonder" will become the centre of our inquiry for Module 3. 

An area that I find interesting and often wonder about is the link between the creative arts and mental health. Isn't it interesting that dance, drama and music are used as therapies to help those suffering with depression and anxiety. Yet for some individuals it is the world of dance, drama and music that creates those health issues! Many charities use the creative arts and to help individuals emotional, physical, cognitive and social needs as it can benefit both physical and mental health resulting in stress reduction, mood management and disease prevention. However for individuals in the world of the arts, their work and training can lead to Anxiety, Depression, OCD and eating disorders. How can a treatment also be a cause? Are the teachers to blame? Is it peer pressure? Social media? What is it the link to the arts and mental health? 

Now I'm not saying that everyone in the arts suffers from mental health problems. The Arts can be the most wonderful industry to be a part of! I'm just saying...what is the link! 

I would love to hear your thoughts on this, so please do comment below.

Comments

  1. Chloe Gentles22 September 2020 at 02:57

    HI Emma, loved your post. I agree, why do so many of us suffer from mental health? I am too looking into why this is and why we put such pressure on ourselves to behave, look and create in a certain way. I believe the world we live in now ,where social media is such a massive part of our day to day lives, has a MASSIVE part to play. However we have the power to decide whether we participate in social media or not. I don't know about you, but being in the industry we are in, it is difficult to say i am going to take a break from socials or come off them all together because a lot of casting opportunities are posted online and i feel like i don't ever want to be out of the know to what is going on. l"d love to hear your thoughts on this! I to struggle with not knowing exactly what i have to do to succeed in this module but i'm learning to believe like yourself that's the whole point. it's about not knowing everything right away and learning which direction to take your question. Stay Safe Chloe :) x

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    1. Emma Dalton23 September 2020 at 03:34

      Hi Chloe,

      I completely agree that social media has created this added pressure and expectation and yet as you quite rightly mentioned, we have the power to disconnect ourselves from it. So why don't we? The social's have become such an integral part of the industry with regards to self-promotion, job opportunity and general inspiration to keep going that it seems you have to stay connected to be able to continue to work in the competitive world, yet it can be so damaging too. How many evenings have you spent scrolling on facebook looking for the dream audition to then be filled with disappoint if it isn't there or is casting males instead of females? I have definitely spent far too much time! Time that I could have spent working on me and my health and arguably this may have furthered my career more? I feel that there is a big triangle that links our health, social media and the creative arts which I feel I need to investigate more.

      If you haven't watch the Social Dilemma its worth a watch. I realised how addicted i had subconsciously become to my phone and apps!

      Emma x

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  2. Alys May-James22 September 2020 at 12:01

    Hi Emma,
    This is a really interesting point- how can a cause also be a cure? I have also been thinking about module 2 and my 'little wonder' and have been thinking about links to mental health and the performing arts. I've been making notes about lots of different things to see what I feel I want to know more on and research into. I look forward to hearing more on this idea! Alys x

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    1. Emma Dalton23 September 2020 at 03:36

      Hi Alys,
      I really look forward to hearing what your thoughts are regarding to your findings of the links between the arts and mental health. The more I read, the more I am intrigued to see what other peoples thoughts are on the matter. Emma x

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  3. Roanne Cox23 September 2020 at 06:08

    Hi Emma, this is a topic I have considered before! I am only starting module 1 but I have reflected on this issue in the past. I think a major part of it is that at a professional level there is an elitism and a demand for the absolute best because you could have 300 people going for 30 jobs. This means the industry can and will be that picky and that selective with who they want. Social media, peer pressure and teachers with old ideas are definitely damaging in this area, promoting aesthetics or ideas that dancers desperately try to achieve by any means, or simply can't achieve, leading to huge health problems.

    Whereas, non-dancers using dance as therapy don't have this pressure or expectation on them to look or be a certain way. The entire idea behind what they are doing is to do something they don't normally do and aren't elite or an expert in. Hence, all the amazing benefits that make us fall in love with dance in the first place are free from any shackles of industry demands and expectations.
    We do it because we love it but we can't escape the fact it is also a business and businesses want the best to be the best and make the money.

    I look forward to reading any further research you do on this! Roanne x

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    1. Emma Dalton24 September 2020 at 06:57

      Hi Roanne,

      Thank you for taking the time to reply to this and for your thoughts on the matter. I like your reasoning of business and how this impacts the industry! It's so true, unfortunately in business its about the money and doing what's best for the company-not the people. xx

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  4. anushkaconway23 September 2020 at 08:27

    Hi Emma!
    I am really enjoying reading everyones areas of interest and am excited to keep up when we all progress, super interesting to see peoples personalities come out a little more now we have the opportunity to take our studies into. our own fields a little more! xx

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    1. Emma Dalton24 September 2020 at 06:54

      Thanks Anushka. It is so interesting to see the direction that everyone have decided to take when starting to research into their "wonders". I look forward to reading about yours more! xx

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  5. Paul Flannigan27 September 2020 at 11:34

    Hi Emma,
    Thanks for such a thought provoking blog! I have also been thinking a lot about my 'little wonder' and something that seems to be a common link is 'mental health.' I had never made the connection between using it as a therapy, so my mind was a little blown, as I had only been looking at the impact it has on professional performers mental health, not as a source of therapy for a person. The Arts can be the most beautiful and accepting society but it also has a hidden dark side. It is a topic in which I extremely interested in. A thing that I have been wondering about is the impact on having to 'switch on a smile' when you are maybe not having the best day, and the effect has on your mental state over a long period of time. I wonder if you have any thoughts on this? Thank you again for opening my eyes, to yet another, 'street in the map.' Paul :) x

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