Art Therapy

Some people go to therapy, some listen to music and some just paint. For many people going through depression it can be quite a difficult journey and finding a way to deal with it could be even harder. There’s always to help us forget about the difficulty we’re going through and in my opinion I think creating art is such a great way of dealing and helping to forget about it even if it’s just for 5 minutes.

What is Art Therapy?

By using different art mediums a person can express their feelings and issues that they are going through. They can create images and objects using this expressive therapy and through that communicate to the Art Therapist without any spoken words. This is a great way to improve a person’s physical, mental, and emotional well-being through a creative process.

It is used to express a person’s way of thinking and to create awareness of oneself and others. This form of expression can help improve development, increase a person’s coping skills and enhance cognitive function.

Combining traditional psychotherapeutic concepts and procedures together with the realization of the psychological aspects of the creative process, including the affective properties from various art materials and mediums.

Who can use Art Therapy?

People of all ages, sex, creed, families, couples, individuals etc. can use art therapy. There are many different ways in the world to communicate and express yourself and what you’re going through. Art Therapy is just another one of those techniques that could be used.  The difference between Art Therapy and the other forms are you don’t need to use any spoken words. For many people Art Therapy is a way of communicating through expressing themselves in images and objects. Using different mediums and techniques to say something without using any form of verbal communication because some struggle putting how they feel into words.

Though there are many expressive arts you can engage in like expressive art, we are typically talking here more about painting, sketching, sculptures and even photography. Using these traditional forms of art for Art Therapy is a beautiful way of expressing yourself.  

What are Art Therapists?

Art Therapists art trained and skilled in both Therapy and Art. Studying and acquiring a Master’s Degree, they know everything about both psychology and human development. Certifications and numerous skills are required which will help them use art as a way for people to express their feelings which they will understand and assess. This assessment will be used to understand a person’s wellbeing and to draw up the best possible treatment the person requires to aid them in their situation. Not only individuals can be helped but couples, families and even groups.

Through art and the creative process, nonverbal signs and metaphors are expressed and Art Therapists are qualified to see these signs that are difficult to express in words. An individual will see the effects of Art Therapy when going through this process and will even make personal discoveries.

Why would I be using Art as a form of Therapy?

When wanting to improve your own mental state or emotional well-being, one would go to therapy and Art Therapy is just one of those methods that could be used. To relieve tension or stress, Art Therapy could also be used to help these situations. It doesn’t necessarily have to be used as a treatment though, it can also be a way of self-discovery. See it as a creative outlet for spoken words that are put into images and objects.

Must I be talented to be able to participate?

No, you definitely don’t need to be talented to do Art Therapy. Don’t be afraid to express yourself through this form of therapy, even if you are struggling at first you don’t have to be afraid as you aren’t used to this way of communication. Your goal isn’t to make master piece in Art Therapy. When working together with an Art Therapist they will help you to gradually get comfortable if not immediately with this method of communication and soon enough you will the see the effects of it.

Art Therapy is new form of expression that will help any individual, family, couple or group to communicate nonverbally. A great way of expressing one’s self and his/her feelings while discovering more of yourself and maybe even a hidden talent or two along the way is never a bad thing. It doesn’t necessarily have to be even seen as therapy but as way to get your mental and emotional wellbeing on track and help to improve your coping skills.

A picture is worth a thousand words especially if you can’t express yourself verbally. So try it out it might just be beneficial.

I use art to express my creativity and inspiration to make something that I like looking at. When I make my art pieces I get this hype inside of me and can’t wait to start. This is also why I make art. It excites me and helps me to keep focus and patience during the entire process. This has helped me be a much more disciplined person when it comes to work and even my art. Working hard to make the final result look perfect and in a way make it looks so perfect that I wouldn’t want to sell it. But knowing that I would make something even more worthwhile next time is even more rewarding. See some of my art work here

Check out my website for Art related posts and some of my recent work.