How art helps us to be human, healthy, and stay connected. Making and looking at art has long-term effects like boosting our brain function and our immune systems as well as contributing positively to our mental and emotional health.

1. Art During Times of Crisis
The world is usually in a frenzied state. The things that humans run after is endless.
Caught up in this mayhem, we do not realise that art is everywhere. That art has always
been a part and parcel of our lives. We fail to find time for things we enjoy the most. The
child in us that likes to create is buried in an inaccessible place. It is not only adults, but also
children who are subjected to this cold, monotonous routine. Not all children are
encouraged to indulge in art. They are often pushed to focus only in their academics, to get
that ideal job that can pay bills.
The pandemic made everything topsy turvy. The mad rush came to a stop and
people had plenty of time in their hands. It is an undeniable truth that the pandemic was a

2. dark time. But it was also a period of renaissance, a time of rebirth, for the realm of art.
Things moved at a slower pace, making us realise the importance of art and the huge role
that art plays in our everyday lives.
With panic and paranoia setting in people turned to art as a remedy. It helped us to
be grateful for being alive and appreciate everything around us. The inner child that enjoyed
art was awakened. People used the time that they had to learn new things. They
experimented with different art forms and mediums. Artists who had just used pencils and
water colours earlier began to experiment with oil paints, acrylics, gouache etc. They also
learnt that using the right medium for their art work, like square sketchbooks for mandala,
water colour sketchbooks for drawing with water colours, poster colours and acrylics,
canvas for oil paints et al. can enhance it to a great extent. People stopped being mere
recreators and turned into creators. Instead of just recreating pictures found on Pinterest,
Tumblr and the likes, they took time observe the world around them and portrayed it in a

3. new light. Though we were locked up in our homes, they kept our spirits and the world alive
by painting it.
Lot of art and artists evolved during this time, leading to a boom in the industry of
art. It was so pre dominant that paper was added to the list of essential things that could be
sold and there was a surge in the online sale of stationaries, sketchbooks and note books. It
also led to many new inventions. For instance, Menorah launched its Square Mixed media
sketchbook, Unicorn notebook and 300 gsm case bound sketchbooks. Artists also wanted to
preserve their art for a long time and Menorah facilitates it by providing archivable papers
in all their notebooks and sketchbooks, that can last up to hundred years.
People discovered that art was not just for leisure. Art was used as a therapy to cope
with difficult times and keep their minds of the darkness. Amidst times of despair and
dejection, it was art that served as a form of an antidote.

4. Art was a means to create awareness. It united people in their struggles. We have
seen several visually striking art work during the pandemic that created awareness about
the need to wear masks and social distancing. It depicted the struggles of doctors and
essential workers as heroes without capes. It also offered us hope and resilience to survive
showing how people reach out to one another in times of need. It was realised that art had
the potential to be anything and everything.

5. Though the world stood still for a while, art continued to flourish because after all,
art is life and life is art.