Art Therapy
In an earlier article we had enumerated the benefits of art. Of the several benefits that it offers, its ability to act as a tool of therapy cannot be stressed enough. Art therapy has the power to improve our well being and even cure some of our medical problems. Art as therapy enables one to work through difficult experiences. It is one of the best ways to self-heal.
What is Art Therapy?
As per Wikipedia ‘Art therapy’ is a distinct discipline that incorporates creative methods of expression through visual art media.
Simply put using different mediums to creatively express one self – be it sketching, doodling, painting or electronic graphics etc can be termed as art therapy.
Art therapy to connect Mind and Body
Art therapy is utilized to create a connection between your mind and body. Exercise works on body and meditation clears your mind. However, art accesses both, body and mind, to promote healing. Every time you sit down to write a song or paint a picture, you are using both mental process as well as physical activity.
Art reduces stress, negative thoughts and unpleasant emotions. Art is a type of meditation. It helps us to focus on creating something. It also helps us to let out our pent up emotions, thereby enhancing our overall well being. It makes us happy and calm.
Art changes the mood
Any kind of art can effect our mood in a positive way. Indulging in art inspires us to do something new and gets our creative juices flowing. In fact it has been said that
Art Therapy – Benefits of Viewing Art
Creating art is not the only way to benefit from it. Viewing art too has tremendous benefits for your mental and physical wellness. Viewing art excites the brain to think, analyze and interpret. It stimulates both the unconscious and conscious brain functions and emotions.
You may have experienced that sometimes you are moved after watching a movie, reading a book or seeing a painting etc. This is because our brain gets stimulated and spurs us into action. We may find some painting deeply calming , while others may trigger a flurry of emotions within us. Art appreciation helps to increase our skills of analytics and problem-solving.
It helps us open up and communicate with others to understand their ideas and perspectives. It helps one attain more empathy and compassion. On a different note, it helps one socialize. We move out of our homes when visiting art museums and galleries etc. Many a times we may go out with our friends or in group tours to visit the art galleries and museums etc.
What does Art Therapy treat?
A work of art may be a great source of strength, inspiration and motivation. It enhances our mental health. At the same time art, as therapy, has the power to heal us from deep within. It has the power to arouse in us the will to live too. I am reminded of the story “The Last Leaf” by O. Henry to illustrate the point. The story is about an old artist who saves the life of a young neighboring artist. She is dying of pneumonia and the old artist arouses her will to live through his art.
“Through her window she can see an old ivy creeper (growing on a nearby wall), gradually shedding its leaves as autumn turns into winter, and she has taken the thought into her head that she will die when the last leaf falls. The leaves fall day by day, but the last lone leaf stays on for several days. The ill woman’s health quickly recovers. At the story’s end, we learn that the old artist, who always wanted to produce a masterpiece painting but had never had any success, spent considerable time painting with great realism a leaf on the wall for the whole night. Furthermore, the old artist himself dies of pneumonia contracted while being out in the wet and cold.” (credits: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Last_Leaf)
Art Therapy – medium to discover the mentor and the mentee within
Indulging in art and other creative pursuits is a great way to connect with the child within and bring out the mentor. It has been said that
