Art therapy is quite a buzzword these days, so let’s not dismiss it just yet and understand it instead.
Remember back in kindergarten and actually through the rest of school when art class was a welcome break for some of us, while it was close to torture for some? Purely because some of us could draw and paint, while some of us couldn’t – as was expected of us. A line had to be straight, a circle had to be even. The scenery had to have a house, a tree, some mountains, some clouds, a few birds, maybe a river, and a boat. It was as if we had to use whatever sense of art we had and produce masterpieces, and not actually learn or understand art.
As a result, while some of us grew up loving art, few others ended up hating art for no fault of it or theirs. That is how our education system works, unfortunately, and with one period per week at school, our minds never understood the scope of what art can do to us and for us.
Art Therapy
It happened years later when the Internet became common and the hours we spend on it increased manifolds. Like many things, we learn that art isn’t replicating what is instructed, but a form of expression which is different for everybody. We learnt that art has more forms than we can count, and each of us can bring out variations in them based on our perspective and imagination.
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We learnt that the world is a canvas and each of us gets to paint on it whichever way we want to!
As the true meaning of art became known, so did the fact that art can be immensely therapeutic. And for art to be used as therapy, one doesn’t need to be an expert in it. Which means it’s for everybody!
Really? Therapy?
This first step of inclusivity is what makes art therapy so attractive. Anybody can indulge in it in any manner, at any time of the day, and at any frequency.
Art is inclusive.
Art understands.
Art connects.
Art extends.
Techniques used in art therapy can include:
- Collage
- Coloring
- Doodling and scribbling
- Drawing
- Finger painting
- Painting
- Photography
- Sculpting
- Working with clay
Art gives us momentary relief from the world, makes the heart happy and helps us pass time. Art therapy is known to be used to combat some serious illnesses like anxiety, cancer, eating disorders, stress, substance use disorder, PTSD, depression, aging-related issues, etc.
How does art actually help?
Using a variety of art methods life drawing, painting, sculpture, and collage with clients ranging from young children to older adults, art therapy is known to provide calmness, discipline, structure, a sense of fulfillment, and more positive feelings.
Studies have shown that clients who have experienced emotional trauma, physical violence, domestic abuse, anxiety, depression, and other psychological issues can benefit from expressing themselves creatively.
More and more people are turning to art nowadays to find solace, with or without the suggestion of their therapists. Adult coloring books had become a thing a few years ago and continue to be so even now because they manage to grab people’s attention and absorb them into the task of coloring, forgetting their lives’ troubles for that time.
The thing about art therapy is that one doesn’t need to be an artist. One just needs to take some time out in a day and give time to art. People have become self-taught artists after turning to art therapy and learning the art from the Internet.
It is while creating art that people focus on their own perceptions, imagination, and feelings. And in doing so, people are known to find solace and sometimes even breakthroughs that have benefitted them immensely.
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