Art, as many of us know first-hand, is an important tool for reducing stress and increasing well-being. When it’s added with talk therapy it can be a deeply revealing and powerful experience.
Completing the Transpersonal Art Therapy program led to a whole new understanding of myself. It was daunting and terrifying to trek into the deep valleys of my mind only to find more and more (and more) unexplored places. I thought I was relatively self-aware but it was only the tip of the iceberg. The processes of Art Therapy – meditations, creations, discussions – kept uncovering new layers. In fact, it frightened me how much more there still was (and is) to explore. The journey of self-development is certainly a never ending process.
These are a few quotes I’ve come across that describe how incredible the field of Art Therapy truly is.
“Expressive art therapy integrates all of the arts in a safe, non-judgmental setting to facilitate personal growth and healing. To use the arts expressively means going into our inner realms to discover feelings and to express them through visual art, movement, sound, writing or drama. This process fosters release, self-understanding, insight and awakens creativity and transpersonal states of consciousness
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– Natalie Rogers
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“Something is always born of excess: great art was born of great terrors, great loneliness, great inhibitions, instabilities, and it always balances them.”
― Anais Nin⋆
“Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.”
– Pablo Picasso
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“Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.”
– Thomas Merton
“At the deepest level, the creative process and the healing process arise from a single source. When you are an artist, you are a healer; a wordless trust of the same mystery is the foundation of your work and its integrity.”
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“Art speaks where words are unable to explain.”
– Pam Holland
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“Painting from nature is not copying the object; it is realising one’s sensations.”
– Paul Cézanne
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“I applied streaks and blobs of colours onto the canvas with a palette knife, and I made them sing with all the intensity I could…”
– Wassily Kandinsky
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“I could say things with color and shape that I couldn’t’ say any other way – things I had no words for…”
– Margaret Naumburg
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Art is the activity by which a person, having experienced an emotion, intentionally transmits it to others.”
–
Leo Tolstoy
“Every artist dips his brush in his own soul, and paints his own nature into his pictures.”
– Henry Ward Beecher
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“Great art picks up where nature ends.”
– Marc Chagall
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“I found I could say things with colour and shapes that I couldn’t say any other way – things I had no words for.”
– Georgia O’Keefe
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“If you hear a voice within you say “you cannot paint,” then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced.”
– Vincent Van Gogh
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“If an art installation gets a patient out of his room or paintings take a person’s mind off their pain and lower their stress levels, the art isn’t just decorative anymore. It’s part of the entire model of care.”
– Dr. Lisa Harris
“The art of healing comes from nature, not from the physician. Therefore the physician must start from nature, with an open mind.”
– Paracelsus
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“Art can permeate the very deepest part of us, where no words exist.”
― Eileen Miller
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“Art is my cure to all this madness, sadness and loss of belonging in the world & through it I’ll walk myself home.”
― Nikki Rowe
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“Creating artwork allows your mind to be in a safe place while it contemplates the tougher issues you are dealing with. One can use the tools of brush, paint, pastels, crayons etc to expose and even for a short time color those issues in a different light.”
― George E. Miller
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“I should advise you to put it all down as beautifully & as carefully as you can—in some beautifully bound book. It will seem as if you were making the visions banal—but then you need to do that—then you are freed from the power of them. . . . Then when these things are in some precious book you can go to the book & turn over the pages & for you it will be your church—your cathedral—the silent places of your spirit where you will find renewal. If anyone tells you that it is morbid or neurotic and you listen to them—then you will lose your soul—for in that book is your soul.”
― Carl Jung
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“Life is full of challenges. We all have them. Art has helped me through my own deep valleys.”
― Sarah Jio
Want to try art therapy?
My name is Kimberly Hetherington and I’m a certified transpersonal art therapist and meditation teacher.
Contact me at [email protected] or follow me on:
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“I should advise you to put it all down as beautifully & as carefully as you can—in some beautifully bound book. It will seem as if you were making the visions banal—but then you need to do that—then you are freed from the power of them. . . . Then when these things are in some precious book you can go to the book & turn over the pages & for you it will be your church—your cathedral—the silent places of your spirit where you will find renewal. If anyone tells you that it is morbid or neurotic and you listen to them—then you will lose your soul—for in that book is your soul.”
Art – no matter whether you choose to create it yourself or simply observe and enjoy it – is a relaxing and inspiring activity for many people. However, the particular benefits of artistic expression go much further than relaxation and enjoyment. Studies suggest that art therapy can be very valuable in treating issues such as depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and even some phobias. It is a great way to express your emotions without words, process complex feelings and find relief. In this article, we will take a closer look at art therapy and discuss its mental health benefits.
What Is Art Therapy?
Art therapy can be defined in many ways, but the simplest way to define it is an application of the visual arts in a therapeutic context. You don’t necessarily have to see a therapist in order to experience some of the therapeutic benefits of artistic expression. There are many simple activities you can try from the comfort of your home such as art journaling, sketching, making collages, sculpting with clay, etc. It doesn’t matter what media you choose. The only thing that matters is that you feel comfortable using it.
However, working with a licensed therapist also has its advantages because a professional can tailor each activity to your own needs. If the activities are done in a group, they are excellent for building healthy connections with other people, which may be very helpful if you are fighting depression. The most important thing is that you should try art therapy only if you want it. Expressing yourself through art can be self-revealing and sometimes equally painful as talking. So, if you still don’t feel ready to try it, that is okay.
Who Should Try Art Therapy?
Anyone who feels overwhelmed or pressured by the hectic world we live in should try art therapy. Creating art will give you a chance to slow down and explore any issues you may be having. Art therapy improves the mental health of people who are dealing with addictions, anxiety, attention disorders, grief and loss, dementia, depression, eating disorders, physical illness, PTSD, trauma, relationship issues and much more.
Since the focus is on the process and not the final product, art therapy is not about becoming a great artist but about finding meaning and connection in your life. All you need for it is a willingness to experiment.
Mental Health Benefits of Art Therapy Activities
Art therapy can be used as a complement to traditional mental health treatment. The aim is to manage behaviors, process feelings, reduce stress and anxiety, and increase self-esteem.
- Self-discovery: Creating art can help you acknowledge and recognize feelings that have been lurking in your subconscious.
- Self-esteem: The process will give you a feeling of self-accomplishment which can be very valuable to improve your self-appreciation and confidence.
- Emotional release: The greatest benefit of art therapy is giving you a healthy outlet for expressing and letting go all your feelings and fears. Complex emotions such as sadness or anger sometimes cannot be expressed with words. When you are unable to express yourself, but you desire emotional release, making art may help you to do it.
- Stress relief: Fighting anxiety, depression or emotional trauma can be very stressful for you both mentally and physically. Creating art can be used to relieve stress and relax your mind and body.
It is very important to know that you don’t have to be a talented artist in order to try art therapy. Human beings are innately creative, and all you need to do to complete an art therapy activity successfully is, to be honest with yourself and your emotions. Once you unleash your creativity, your inner artist will quickly wake up.
Studies also show that creating art stimulates the release of dopamine. This chemical is released when we do something pleasurable, and it basically makes us feel happier. Increased levels of this feel-good neurotransmitter can be very helpful if you are battling anxiety or depression.
Mental health professionals and experts agree that art therapy has many benefits, from boosting your self-esteem, and providing you a safe outlet to relieve your emotions, to giving you a sense of control over your life and helping you to get to know and understand yourself better. During the process of art creation, you will be taking yourself on a journey of self-discovery that will help you eliminate emotional roadblocks, and learn how to communicate with yourself and others.
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Author Bio: Mary Ann Cohen is considered one of the nation’s most successful and respected art dealers with over 35 years of International visual fine art experience. She actively encourages the use of art therapy in her galleries.
One in five Americans experiences a mental health problem every year, but when it happens to someone you love, it can feel like you are all alone.
Laurel House, Inc., the sponsor of www.rtor.org and its free support services, has produced a 4-minute video about Resources to Recover and a family’s journey from heartbreak to healing.
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The opinions and views expressed in this guest blog do not necessarily reflect those of www.rtor.org or its sponsor, Laurel House, Inc. The author and www.rtor.org have no affiliations with any products or services mentioned in this article or linked to herein.
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