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A Whaler’s Life

Dear Friends,

There is now a great interest in the benefits of any kind of creative practice – art, music, poetry, journaling. You name it. Anything can help, no matter your skill level.

I am fascinated by the fact that those ancient whalers might have been onto something that we all now in our busy, stressful worlds, need to rediscover. Everyday engagement with a dose of creativity can help us navigate life’s ups and downs. It can bring calm and joy when the sailing is rough. We don’t have to be particularly good at it to reap the benefits, although I am sure that producing something we are happy with would bring its own joy.

Lastly, what did the whalers depict? You might imagine they would show rough seas, the horror of the kill, the danger of the hunt, men dying. No. In the squalid whaling ships they carved beautiful ships with open sails, portraits especially of loved ones, flowers, emblems, and whaling scenes. These are not depressing scenes of misery, no, these are happy, hopeful images. Take a look:

© 2024 Smithsonian

© Rafael Osona Auctions Nantucket, MA

©  NEW BEDFORD WHALING MUSEUM

Maybe there were many reasons the whalers spent the long hours in this painstaking act of creativity. I like to think that along with the benefits mentioned above, it  brought them joy and comfort in an otherwise harsh world.

-MANDY

SOURCES:


Mandy Seligman

Mandy Seligman is the founder of SeeingHappy, a nonprofit whose mission it is to promote wellbeing through photography using positive psychology. She is a psychologist who believes that we can all benefit from using using positive psychology at every stage of life.

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