We are living in a time when stress, anxiety, and emotional fatigue have become all too common, people are looking for new effective ways to cope and heal. While therapy rooms are effective they are not always cost-effective for many. Here comes, Art, which is also used as a therapy widely with scientific research backing the claim. Widely popular among therapists and in schools, art is a powerful tool which is now gaining recognition as a healer.
Whether it is painting, sketching, sculpting, or even doodling, creative expression is a new normal when it comes to helping people heal–as it is no more just a hobby, but as a form of therapy that speaks where words fall short.
What is Art Therapy?
Art therapy is a form of expressive therapy that uses the creative process to help individuals explore their emotions, improve, self-awareness, cope with stress, and boost self-esteem. This also helps manage symptoms of trauma or mental illness. Art therapy is also not about how skilled you are in a particular art and it is not necessarily about painting or sketching. Any form of expression made using a creative activity is part of art therapy.
Licensed art therapists guide individuals through various forms of art to help them process complex emotions. This could be a child expressing fear of dogs by drawing a dog or an adult using clay to express his suppressed grief. "Art therapy allows people to express what they can not with words. Many clients come with their inbuilt complexes and don't feel comfortable speaking about them. That's where art helps. They bond with colours and textures and give a form to their emotions. It makes the process of treatment and healing faster and smoother," says Rashi Bani, a certified art therapist in Auroville, Puducherry.
Does Art Really Work and Why?
While art therapy has gained popularity in the last few years as a scientific treatment for healing mental stress and trauma, it has more than just one stroke at a time! Creating art taps into the brain's right hemisphere, this side is responsible for imagination, intuition, and emotions. The left side, which is more about the analytical side, gets bypassed. This is also the part which is tangled up in overthinking and communicating feelings that are difficult to verbalise.
Studies have shown that art-making can reduce cortisol levels, the hormone associated with stress. "Engaging in creative activities can help increase dopamine, which is the brain's feel-good and mood-boosting chemical. Art creates a meditative state, where everything pauses for the one creating it. Mind is still and focused, which helps clients express themselves better. It is similar to yoga or deep breathing," says Clinical Psychologist Syamoli Desai.
Who All Can Benefit?
From children to adults, Art therapy is used with all age groups of people. For children who are dealing with developmental disorders, to teenagers struggling with minor or major anxiety, or adults who are recovering from trauma, depression, or chronic illness like cancer or heart issues, art therapy has proven to have helped every individual in need of non-verbal expression.
"They access the emotions and memories that are deep-seated in them and which are bothering them and affecting their daily life. It's about creating a space that helps them express and become self-aware. Through this process, they get clarity, and emotional resilience in a nonjudgmental environment," says Bani. Additionally, Art therapy is also being used with war veterans, cancer patients, and elderly people with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. "They can reconnect with memories and emotions through art therapy," says Bani.
Types of Art Therapies Used As a Form of Expression
- Some of the most used art therapies are:
- Painting and drawing, which helps individuals express emotions through colours and shapes
- Sculpture and clay work release tension through tactile engagement
- Collage-making is used to tell stories through images and textures
- Mandala Colouring helps achieve calm and mindfulness through symmetry
- Photography helps one capture moments that evoke reflection
"The goal of creating these arts is not about making something beautiful but also something meaningful which can help the individual express and the therapists to treat," says Bani.
How to Begin with Art Therapy and Do You Need A Therapist
One of the best things about art therapy is that you don't need any fancy supplies or training to get started. A simple sketchbook or some colours can help you express what's in your mind. Bani suggests letting your hands move without judgement and drawing whatever comes to your mind and how you are feeling at that point in time or most of the time. "Only for a deeper work, one can connect with an art therapist," Bani recommends.
You can try
- Daily doodling or journaling
- Joining an art-based support group
- Taking art in online therapeutic art workshops
The Art of Healing Minds
Art Therapy is about healing which doesn't always come through words. You can spend quiet moments with a canvas, or a drawing book. Pick up some clay and head to your terrace to mould it the way you feel. "This exercise will not only help you feel less overwhelmed but also stay focused in your work and personal life," says Bani.
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