Vispo/print: Can't Find My Mind (version) / Be creative every day...for your health! / I Was A Crazy Beatnik! / Pull My Daisy film

Can't Find My Mind, RTomens, 2026

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'Daily participation in the arts is as important to health as getting five-a-day or 10,000 steps, one of Britain’s most influential scientists has said.

   Prof Daisy Fancourt, of University College London, recently became the first ever associate scientist for the Royal Albert Hall, and is determined to prove that the arts are vital for well-being.

   She recently published a paper showing that reading, listening to music or visiting a gallery or museum may slow the pace of ageing, but the effects of art engagement are vast, ranging from boosting mental health to lowering blood pressure.

   “The message is that we need do something artistic or creative every day, even it’s only for a few minutes,” she told The Telegraph.

   “When we regularly engage in the arts it’s actually a low-intensity psychological therapy, it increases neurotransmitters like dopamine that are involved in happiness, and reduces stress hormones like cortisol. Whilst we treat them like a luxury, my research over the last 15 years has just been consistently showing me that they are much more than that – it’s a human necessity. We’ve seen the effects of big campaigns like your five-a-day of fruit and veg and get your 30 minutes of activity and your 10,000 steps, but we’ve not had those same conversations about art. There’s not been the same idea that actually 15 or 20 minutes a day of doing something creative and artistic has benefits.” '

- The  Telegraph, 04/7/2026

Nice idea, Daisy; trouble is...most folk can eat fruit or veg easily but doing something 'artistic' or 'creative'?  That could be asking too much of people. Even eating the supposed 5-a-day fruit'n'veg can be a challenge. Do bike couriers deliver fruit 'n' veg? Can I get it on an app? Does a pizza topped with pineapple on a tomato sauce base count for anything? 

According to Prof Fancourt I should be psychologically very sound - but - um  - I wonder...and dopamine? They say social media addiction is related to dopamine hits, don't they? Trouble is, it's also responsible for rage and stress. Also disappointment for the artist when his/her latest masterpiece posted for the world to admire only gets two likes, one from the partner/husband/wife and the other from that serial liker who does it only to get attention themselves - huh!

In theory the art every day idea is good, but in practice, is that full-time worker going to manage it? No time before going to work and too knackered in the evening. OK, I managed it when I worked full-time as a hospital porter, most nights, but that was due to my fantasy/belief that I was a character in Pull My Daisy. In other words, I was still a beat rebel poet/painter/writer even with an ordinary job. My mate Chris would come round and we'd be crazy beatniks for the evening. Here we are in the hospital accommodation, my little room. No cooker. A sink in the corner and a bed. You could barely swing a cat but, hey, us cats sure did swing! Ha-ha!

Joking aside, I would also recommend little creative acts every day. Use a pen/pencil and pad. Set up pages on the computer to write on. Write a poem! Draw a stupid animal. I mean, it doesn't matter if it looks stupid! Draw abstract shapes! Just be wary of posting them online because the reaction might put you off or, to be positive, be inspiring.

Here I am, talking like a friggin' life coach when I have more important things to consider like how to watch the England vs Mexico game which starts at 1am tomorrow morning. Kerouac never had such problems...