Theraputic art is an art making process that aids a person in pursuing goals, such as self-knowledge and well-being, through artistic expression. Theraputic art helps guide you and express your feelings, it can help raise your self-esteem and self-awareness, promoting insight, and enhance social skills.
Art therapy can be done one-by-one or in group sessions and in various environments: hospitals, retirement homes or at home.
We use five art disciplines dance, music, visual art, creative writing and poetry.
Key Benefits include self-discovery, personal fulfillment, empowerment, relaxation and stress relief.
Art Therapy History
Art has been present since the dawn of humanity as a means of expression and communication. If you look at art in any point of human history, it reveals something about us from that time. From carvings that decorate the caves of prehistoric man to the theatrical performance's in Ancient Greece. Some believe that for the people of that time, animal drawings represented a divine power or a magic ritual to ensure a good hunt. While acting performances played a therapeutic role, through "catharsis"; by watching their passions performed in front of them, spectators were freed from them. Art is an outlet that allows us to reflect on ourselves and the world. It helps not only soothe the souls who see the art, but helps soothe those who create it.
Art therapy in combination with psychology would not make an official appearance until the 1900s. In combination with the changes from the Industrial Revolution, artists were in a way freed from painting landscapes and portraits of the wealthy and prestigious and began to use art to express their inner thoughts. feelings, and their own perspectives.
Psychology also grew with Sigmund Freud's theory and its connection to the subconscious. Psychoanalysis focuses on treating mental disorders by connecting the conscious and unconscious mind. Carl Gustav Jung also examined the world of the unconscious through symbolism revealed in dreams. He saw art making as expressing the sacred and mysterious.
Adrian Hill combined and gave it the name of "art therapy". He was a painter suffering from tuberculosis who managed to heal himself through art. He workedwith Edward Adamson who opened a studio where he enabled patients for self expression without judgement and psychoanalysis,
Art therapy was introduced in the US by Margaret Naumburg and Edith Kramer. Naumburg believed in creating art through "free-association", to share and express what ever comes to mind without judgement, then later look back to understand the symbols. Focusing on the healing aspect, rather than as a diagnostic. Edith Kramer led art therapy program schools and programs for children unable to explain their feelings through words. Many hospitas and institutions began inncluding art therapy programs.
Art therapy session can be conducted individually or in a group and in many settings. Art therapy reaches patients, of different ags, cultures, and also different pathologies: Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, cancer, mental issues, or chronic illnesses.
Personal Development and Self Healing
Art therapy works mainly because art stimulates our brain, our imagination, and various cognitive functions. Humans have the inate need to express ourselves. We express ourselves through our body language, our words, our actions. We also express ourselves by not saying something or not doing something. When we create art, we are expressibg subconscious aspects of our lives and making them visible making them seen and more understood. It also remains visible and you can look back and see how you used to feel in that moment.
Art therapy is not limited to engaging our imagination and our brain from simply a neural perspective. Today, we see art therapy influence us through the phenomenon of coloring and mandalas for adults. It is so successful because it allows an intense concentration on the task being performed. This concentration taps into a new consciousness of self, similar to the practice of meditation. To reach what is called full consciousness, we have to be in the present moment without being overwhelmed by our thoughts.
The main idea of art therapy is to work on perceptions: perception of issues, of recovery and their environment. Through various instructions, patients will uncover things that have been buried. They will be helped in this process by their representation of the problem and your questions. Moreover, the patient takes on a new role by creating: that of the artist. Thegoal of this therapy is to utilize resources that have been previously ignored.
A new form of self-awareness also leads to a new form of self-knowledge. The workshops that you conduct over the course of your sessions will often have this objective. The main idea of art therapy is to work on perceptions: perception of issues, of recovery and their environment. Through various instructions, patients will uncover things that have been buried. They will be helped in this process by their representation of the problem and your questions. Moreover, the patient takes on a new role by creating: that of the artist. Thegoal of this therapy is to utilize resources that have been previously ignored.
The idea of art therapy is not to interpret the created artworks but to focus on the creation process itself. I am not an interpreter. My goal is to create a space where the patient themselves can understand what they have created.
Product vs Progress
You may have the belief that your focus in these sessions should be in making sure your end products are perfect. But in art therapy we are focused on the creative process, letting go of rules and judgements.
Art therapy is judgement free. You may have an inner critic or maybe an outer critic saying that what you are doing is worthless or bad. In art theraphy you are the creaor, what you do is powerful because you create your own rules.
Art Therapy Examples
Here are 5 simple art therapy activities that you can perform yourself or with other people. All of them work to reduce stress and promote general well-being: these activities have been adapted for all kinds of patients.
1.) Musical Art
Materials:
Speakers or headphones
Access to music via CD, YouTube, Spotify, etc. for various pieces of music in various genres
Drawing ink in black and other colors
Feather pen
Thick white paper
Time: 30 minutes
Objective: This is an excellent activity for concentration and reduction of stress. It is also an activity beneficial for patients who are not comfortable with the creation process. • Create a soft or pleasant atmosphere. We will begin with a warm-up or relaxation exercise. • Turn on the music and play with your materials. • You can choose to work with a single musical piece in the background or with various excerpts that evoke various emotions. • Let yourself go and draw something by following the variations of the music. • If you only play one excerpt or one album, the activity essentially focuses on relaxation.
Ask questions at the end of the activity such as: How did you feel? Are you relaxed? Why did you connect the music to this drawing?
I'mworried I can't just "let myself go." That's okay, I completely understand any mental blocks that may come up. In my instruction videos I don't just provide a step-by-step, but I go into the process myself. I address different thoughts and questions that may come up and address them.
2.) One Painting Hides Another
Materials: Heavy paperboard Acrylic paint Paintbrushes Glue Scissors Felt-tip markers Time: Two sessions
Objective: This activity is excellent for creativity and imagination. It extends over two sessions because you will create two different artworks. The main message is the possibility of two different points of view. This activity also shows that situations are not destined to remain the same.
• During the first session, paint something on any theme. Let the painting dry. • During the second session, create a collage with it by cuttign up the first work and attaching it piece by piece to another sheet of paper: so, they should create a collage from their own creation.
Ask questions at the end of the activity such as: Do you prefer the first artwork? Why or why not?
I'm afraid I'll just ruin it. Try focusing on the process instead of the end product.
3.) Dream Tree
Materials: Scraps of fabric Colored paper Felt-tip markers and pens Framework: sticks gathered from outdoors or wire, string
Time: one or two sessions Objective: this activity is ideal for art therapy groups, although you can plan to do it one-on-one over several consecutive sessions. It allows the patient to meditate for a moment on their memories and dreams, to visualize hopes for the future and to work on what they hold most dear. • The first step is to create a structure that represents the trunk and branches of a tree. Depending on the abilities of your patients, you can make it before the session or make it with the patient. It can be small, made from wire or large, made from sticks tied together with string. In any case, you will need a thick stem to which you will attach thinner branches crosswise. • Next, give the patient the paper and fabric. On each scrap of colored paper, have them write down their wildest dreams or one of their fondest memories. If they wish, you can also discuss the dreams that they write down: how do they see the future? Depending on the circumstances, you should wait until the end of the session for the discussion period. • The patient can then hang the colored sheets of paper with ribbons and strings. They can also combine scraps of fabric and scraps of paper to create a wispy look.
4.) Map of My Heart
Materials: Large sheet of paper Markers, paint, crayons
Objective: this activity is oriented entirely toward self- knowledge. It helps to concentrate on our feelings and on the things that make us happy. This allows the representation what quickens our pulse in this life.
There is one simple instruction: the patient draws a heart on a large sheet of white paper and then divides it into sections that correspond to something they particularly enjoy.
5.) Crystal Ball
Materials: Paper Markers Pens
Objective: this activity concentrates on the notion of control, especially in light of negative thoughts. The idea is to work on the future, the challenges that will be faced and strategies to put into place. • Ask the patient to draw a large circle on the drawing paper. • Explain that this circle is a crystal ball that represents their near future, a few months from now. • Have them identify one to three changes that they will make in their routine and their life within the next few months and then draw them. • Then have them draw the feelings that they will feel once those changes are made. • You can then start a discussion by asking them how they will deal with these new emotions.
6.) News Portrait
here is an exercise that will engage your creative mind and lead to work on self-esteem and self-perception.
What you need: Old newspapers (yes, paper newspapers!) and high-gloss paper, glue, a pair of scissors, a large piece of drawing paper, and a box (for organization).
The assignment: Make a collage self-portrait.
How to start: Cut the newspapers into pieces of various sizes, without selecting any images. Put them all in the box. Sit comfortably at a table with the paper in front of you; you can put on some background music, make yourself a cup of tea, etc. One by one, take the pieces of newspaper and glue them onto the paper to form your face.
Duration: the time you need. You can do it all at once or in two or three sessions. Let yourself go, listen to yourself. Simply be yourself.
And in the end? It doesn’t matter if you’re good at collage or drawing. The important thing here is the concentration and effort you put into the exercise.
It also isn’t about the resulting aesthetics; it isn’t a question of judging this work objectively, like in school. Not at all. What matters are your feelings, your emotions when you see your portrait, your reflection: the choice of colors, random shapes, how the face is made, the shape of the eyes, their expression, and so on.
Filled with these emotions, you may feel that this portrait is satisfactory, that it looks like you, or on the contrary, that it reflects something different that you want to modify, change, or improve. Ask yourself what, why, how, etc. Write down your feelings on the back of the paper.
Once that is done, with the perspective that your work has inspired, you can rework it, start over. But remember to write down your feelings each time.