This is just a short and simple animation to show how flowers can effect mood.
The appearance of the first flowers in Spring has long been celebrated within our culture, in the U.K. Daffodils being a prime example in Wales and in Japan, the cherry blossom.
But in my animation I have used simple shapes to represent the flowers, suggesting that even just the idea of flowers can lift the spirits. And images of flowers can be found everywhere, from graffiti to home decor to fabric to jewellery to art, showing how important they are to our psyche.
Recently studies have been done to look into the impact flowers can have on mental health. And with rising stress and mental illness in our society it seems sensible to look what we have available to counteract these issues. An interesting article here mentions two studies that showed positive effects. In one, receiving flowers as a gift led to an increase in positive emotions. In the other study Japanese researches found physiological benefits to people who are exposed to flowers. And here is a tribute to flowers and gardening from a mental health patient which describes some of the ways flowers help improve her mental health.
It’s no wonder that painting flowers is such a joy and one I hope to share with you …
Till next time ….
Hugs, Ceri xx
