Taking an ‘Art Break’ at work
We all probably know that to maintain focus, clear thinking, energy and our physical well-being we need to take regular short breaks away from our screen or between meetings, BUT how many of us actually make this a habit? And does our office environment help us do that?
Working from home during the pandemic sometimes had too many distractions, but for many of us we could pop into the kitchen for a cup of coffee, drink it in the garden, and do a bit of stretching hanging the washing up- and many of us found we felt better for it.
An appropriate short break is sometimes much more difficult in the office. A few minutes looking at a piece of art that moves you is a great way to rest the mind and the eyes and it’s even better if you stand up to do it.
This painting by artist and co-founder of Living from Art Gerald Crittle means a lot to me. It hung in my workspace for a year or more. The Cheltenham Art Office on the Lansdown estate was definitely shabby and not at all chic, but I, and lots of other people, loved the feel of the place. Real coffee and plenty of cake helped, as well as a variety of work from Gerald and other local artists. Whenever I needed to refresh my mind, I would stand and look at the painting, getting lost in the colours, layers and textures, and always noticing something different. One day I would have bought it, but I left it too late and it was sold to someone else. I was delighted for Gerald. I’ve always regretted letting ‘my’ painting get away, but it did teach me the value of losing yourself in art, just for a few minutes as a way to refresh your working day.
It saddens me just how many local workplaces are devoid of art, when it’s a simple way of improving people's wellbeing. If you are starting to wonder if your business needs art, then do join me, and my guests Sarah Davis from Monkscroft Care Centre and Niki Marsh from Ashlea Financial planning at Parabola Arts Centre on Tuesday 18th October 7 -9 to talk about Art for Business. Enjoy a glass of wine, meet some of our artists, spend some time really looking at a piece of work with Debbie Kersley and hear about creative workshops for staff from Tony Davie. If you do have art in your business, do come to share your experiences of what a difference art can make.
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