Researchers from the University College London found that arts engagement, either creating or enjoying art, can slow aging by 4%—identical to the degree that regular activity can positively impact aging. In an NPR report on the study, this benefit of the arts on lifespan was labeled a revelation, and the author noted the surprise of longevity expert Steven Horvath, developer of the Horvath aging clock, upon hearing the study findings. While the proposition that activity that generally decreases stress can prolong life is not new, the London team hypothesizes that arts engagement may offer unexpected benefits to longevity beyond lowering stress levels.
In Chinese medicine, the idea that creating and appreciating art can help us live fuller, longer lives has actually existed for thousands of years, a phenomenon explained by Chinese medical theory.
Functional Organ Networks in Chinese Medicine
Before even the early beginnings of Chinese medicine about 2,500 years ago, anatomical studies in China had determined the exact weight of the human heart and the true length of the intestines. However, with the rise of influential religious and philosophical perspectives in approximately 500 BCE—especially Confucianism—Chinese society would shift its attitudes on human gross anatomy, resulting in a firm prohibition against dissecting the deceased. This taboo persisted up until the 20th century.
So, unlike Western anatomy which scrutinizes bodily architecture, Traditional Chinese medicine turned to the study of living individuals and the complex networks which exceed the limits of any one organ or group of related tissues. This functional approach to anatomy and physiology sharply distinguishes Chinese medicine from Western medicine. In our clinic, we often explain the difference to patients using a modern metaphor: where Western medicine emphasizes the structural hardware of the human body, Chinese medicine focusses on its intangible operating system and software.
Creativity and Liver Function
Organ system function Traditional Chinese medicine corresponds to the phases of the five-phase theory; liver pertains to the wood phase of spring. In springtime, young sprouts, hidden within the soil, emerge into view and stretch upward and expand outward. The physiology of the liver parallels this natural process by pushing blood from the bodily interior up to the head and sending it out to the four limbs. In the words of the 2,500-year-old Huang Di Nei Jing, “the eyes attain [liver] blood, and the eyes can see”, and “the hands attain [liver] blood, and the eyes can grasp”. Thus, the function of the peripheral areas of the body depends on the liver’s distribution of the key resources which radiate outward from deep within the body’s core.
Chinese medicine holds that the body and mind are not separate but exist on a continuum. Just as bodily physiology like vision and use of the four limbs are fueled by nutrients disseminated by the liver, creativity which springs forth in our minds and takes form in our hands has its ultimate root in the liver system. In Chinese medical theory, where military metaphors are often utilized, “the liver governs the making of strategies” neatly expresses the role of the liver in both planning and execution. This helps define not only the task of a general but also sums up the artistic process of inspiration followed by creation of art, actions that aid in maintaining balanced hepatic function.
Maintaining Liver System Health
Many phenomena described in Traditional Chinese Medicine are bidirectional. In addition to being the source of artistic creativity, the liver system benefits from arts engagement that can support the physiological activity of that organ network. When liver blood and other vital resources are efficiently distributed to the sensory organs and the hands and feet, we may experience better vision or manual dexterity, for example. This regulated function is more likely when individuals are engaged in the arts or benefit from the appreciation of the work of artists.
The liver as understood in Chinese medicine, however, has even a more basic role in keeping all bodily function harmonized. This is reflected in the classic statement “the liver governs free-coursing”. The phrase references the liver’s essential role in distributing and regulating the substantive and energetic resources through all of the cells and tissues of the body.
Conversely, when disrupted, the liver system has potential for great harm. “The liver is the thief of the five viscera and the six bowels” warns the ancient Chinese medical classics. Out of balance, the liver network can be the source of innumerable pathologies; on the other hand, a regulated liver, supported by emotional and mental equanimity that includes arts engagement, forms the foundation for health and vitality. Over the course of a lifetime, this often adds up to a better, and a longer, life.