Art Cure: The Science Of How The Arts Transform Our Health by Daisy Fancourt (book review)
I came across an article by author Daisy Fancourt in ‘New Scientist’ regarding how the arts can improve your mental health and relieve stress so sought out her book, ‘Art Cure: The Science Of How The Arts Transform Our Health’. Although Fancourt is British-based, some of her examples are from the USA, no doubt to garner sales over there.
What is important is the proof that people do make improvements to their mental health by have some creative pursuits. This could be down to listening to music or visiting theatres for live performances to actually paying musical instruments and get involved in acting at any level. Obviously, Fancourt has to focus on good examples but the fact that even babies react well to some types of music shows there is something in it. As such, you might well learn something that you can apply to your own lives in this book.
If there is a flaw, it doesn’t address the problems people with an active creativity, like me, have who got a stress problem. I’ve always thought my creativity has kept my agoraphobia in check but not stopped it happening. I do agree with her having some background distraction is useful and think I ought to up the amount of music I have in the background when I don’t have the television on. Its not as though I don’t have a big enough CD collection. Whether it would work when I’m out walking I’m less sure simply because I tend to see it as a distraction from background noises like cars on the road and a desire not to be hit by one.
Even so, I’m all for encouraging you readers out there to develop your creative skills and if it can act as a panacea to your mental health and adding years to your lives so much the better. There is a warning note at the end that governmental recreational budgets have been cut in the UK and USA. When you consider that its less than 0.5% of the annual country budget, if having it a little higher has the effect of people less ill and therefore beneficial to the NHS budget then it clearly needs more investment.
GF Willmetts
January 2026
(pub: Cornerstone Press/Penguin, 2026. 242 page hardback with 81 pages of notes with index. Price: varies. ISBN: 978-1-529-93953-0)
check out website: www.penguin.co.uk/books/462340/art-cure-by-fancourt-daisy/9781529935530
