Better than Booze

We live in stressful times. Open the newspaper: it tells of wars, environmental degradation, energy dependence, layoffs and unemployment, financial uncertainties.

And that's not to mention personal stressors. Loneliness, fear, misunderstanding, hurt, anger - these sensations flood through us at times, leaving us exhausted and empty.

How do we deal with these? How do we ease the worry, the pain?

Well, of course, there are many ways to respond. One popular cushion against the world is alcohol. The loosening of muscles and of thoughts, the decrease in sensitivity - these experiences can blur our anxieties.

At first.

Now, I am no teetotaller - I enjoy a glass of wine as much as anyone. But, I have found that its pleasant effects are short-lived, and can be followed by very unpleasant ones: thirst, headache, rubbery limbs, foggy thought. I hate those feelings.

Ultimately, I have found, art is better than booze.

When you sit down to make something, it's as though you enter a different realm. Worries recede, troubles diminish. It is not escapism - just respite. And afterwards, rather than feeling crummy, you feel refreshed, relieved, renewed.

I wrote a while ago wondering why art is created; I guess this is one reason, and perhaps it's as good a reason as any.