Wood carving is a traditional artistry for ages. Over time it became a leading occupation and attracted people to get involved in such business due to its economic and artistic value. Wikipedia defines wood carving as an act of using tools to shape something from a material by scraping away portions of the materials.
Wood carving greatly involves skills, creativity and hard work. It not only contributes to socio-economic benefit, also it greatly impacts on the mental and spiritual development of the people involved in carving trades.
It’s known from Wikipedia that wood carving is one of the oldest arts of humankind. Wooden spears from the middle Paleolithic, such as the Clacton Spear, reveal how humans have engaged in utilitarian woodwork for millennia. Indeed, the beginnings of the craft go so far back that at least where timber is present, the use of wood exists as a universal in human culture as both a means to create or enhance technology and as a medium of artistry.
However, I have designed this article to discuss 5 Benefits of Wood Carving for Body, Mind and Spirit so that you can be involved in such great craftsmanship and encourage others too.
Benefits of Wood Carving
Wood carving belongs to a kind of art. It fascinated artists and craftsmen for ages. Its trail in art successively follows the general course of art and illustrated in different forms including supplicatory, religious sculptures and abstract images through its evolutionary journey over centuries. Wood carving subjugated the hearts of the artists and general people for its natural aesthetic look, texture and natural grain pattern.
Wood carving encompasses a great deal of creativity, prophecy and skills through which one can build a fashionable piece of art.
From primeval age until this modern era wood carving has been upholding its artistic value in the artifact industry. This form of art has numerous benefits in terms of socio-economic growth, mental fitness and spiritual development. It created scope for millions of families to earn their livelihood across the world. Wood carving also contributed to preserving an eco-friendly environment by utilizing spoiled wooden products including furniture.
Apart from the carving products, wood carving also takes a person through a relaxing and peaceful carving process to come up with a beautiful piece of art. It has a great impact on body, mind and spirit as it demands thoroughness, focus, patience, and vision for something to be carved out from wood with someone’s own idea and vision.
However, let’s talk about multiple benefits of wood carving including physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing and ultimate productivity in the society and nations.
Impact on Body
Modern era is an age of technology. People are too busy and exhausted to deal with a stressful and boring modern lifestyle. We often ignore the needs of the body and soul and their connection with spirituality. These gaps in turn profoundly impact on our ability to rationally deal with technology-based mechanized life through a peaceful and productive manner. As a result, we get depressed and lack self-esteem to effectively deal with worldly miseries in the long-run.
While one can ventilate such pains and manage stresses by getting engaged in precious art work like wood carving. The design comes out from wood carving makes a person happy, proud, and confident. It’s evident that different kinds of crafting including carving are categorized as joyful activities associated with mental therapy at old homes to get rid of anxiety and stress.
Impact on Mental State
We often ignore the inherent characteristic of our body which has the ability to create something beautiful. But if we engage ourselves in creating something, our body automatically synchronizes with our mind. And it generates a great amount of positive emotions which works like a healing process of emotional barriers and transforms to a positive and creative personality.
It’s a very common behavior or emotional expression among the people with mental disorders that they find it extremely difficult to rationally deal with routine life and activities. Wood carving helps a mentally disturbed person establish a focus and reinforce the mind to be able to process things. Thus it employs a sense of connection between the person and the surroundings. Finally it rejuvenates the mental state of the person leading to a positive emotional transformation and mental alertness and stability.
A study titled “A phenomenological study of the therapeutic benefits of Woodcarving ” published by Graeme Hamilton, revealed that the participants who got involved in the wood carving tasks reported it as peaceful and uplifting stimulants. This study suggested that wood carving is one of the common kinds of arts in every country and people can get involved and feel connected, irrespective of their backgrounds and cultures.
Wood carving has amazing potential to revitalize spirits and connect the person with nature. When a carving task takes place, one gets fully involved, concentrated in creation and feels relaxed. It helps get rid of stress, anxiety, and feeling of isolation.
Wood pattern, its colors, aesthetic look, and carving process help a person shift his mind set, depression and connect with the whole atmosphere. One’s mind gets reinvigorated as much as it connects with natural entities and that leads to the spiritual development through touching, smelling and working with the object directly.
Millions of people across the world depend on wood carving for their livelihood. They generate substantial income by selling wood carving products. Thus it not only heals their mental disorder, also assures their income, affordability, meeting daily necessities and keeping them cool, relaxed and free from tension.
An investigation of carving woods was carried out to understand its socio-economic impact on the lives of the people involved in wood carving occupation. 50 respondents took part in the study. The study focused on investment and return analysis to conclude about the economic benefit of wood carving occupation. The study revealed that the rate of return against investment was 48.80% which concluded that the carving trade is profitable and economically viable.
Added Value in Family and Social Life
When someone earns and contributes to family and society in various forms, it adds value to the person’s life. S/he is respected and recognized for their artistic skills by the family, community and society. This makes a person feel proud, valued and confident. This process leads a person to be more prone to social and spiritual development. Thus it helps the person take social responsibility, combat challenges, and develop a positive attitude towards individual, family and social life.
I hope you have got insight about wood carving and its profound impact on mental, spiritual and socio-economic life. In fact, body, mind and spirit are inter-connected instincts and one is greatly affected by others. Any artistic work helps us concentrate on building something beautiful and diverts our minds from various worldly anxieties and stresses. Thus this process of creation leads a person towards engagement with socio-economic events, benefits and positivity about life.
However, I would like to hear from you about your engagement in this type of artistry and its impact on your life.
I would also expect you to share this article and our site with your family and friends so that we can broaden our clients’ network and offer our optimized services in the near future.
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About This Writer
Hi, I am Eric Devin and I am a professional interior architect. Since childhood, I've always enjoyed DIY projects! And, I have loved to solve simple household problems using essential tools and equipment. I have also acquired a lot of information about basic household tools settings by working with contractors.