Articles
Have you tried therapeutic art lately?
Art has been considered as a form of therapy. The power of creative expressions of art explores the feelings, ideas, and thoughts of its practitioner which enables us to reflect on his or her deepest inner sense of being that helps to understand the purpose of life. That in itself work as a therapy, and the best thing about it is, you do not necessarily have to be an artist. All you have to do is to freely express yourself through creative arts.
Many people can benefit from art therapy. It is generally applicable to young and adults alike. Children are typically less capable to express themselves verbally. But by using art as a means of expression, they can express their emotions which can lighten up their mood or even help them heal the emotional wounds their parents may not even know about. Also, by asking them to draw something about what they want, feel, or think, parents would be able to understand their children.
On the other hand, adults, who are obviously more experienced in life than the youngsters have been aware of the imperfect side of reality which cause them frustrations, anxiety, anger, and sorrow. Art therapy can help adults in coping up with their struggles in life and possibly in finding solutions and insightful conclusions within themselves. Other than that, art therapy can also lead to a general sense of emotional relief and better mental health.
You don’t need to be a professional artist or painter to perform art therapy. Here are some simple steps to try and see the benefits of art therapy:
- Make sure you have readily available drawing or sketching materials at home. Get cardboards, papers, color pens, pencils and crayons from your local book shop.
- Close your eyes and find the cause of your problem or stress.
- Focus on that thought and start moving your pencil or crayon to the direction that your emotions take you. Just go with the flow. This should be an expression of what you feel deep inside you.
- If you want to use water-based paint, choose a color that you feel connected with. Then rub it onto your hands. Or you can use a paint brush. Let go of your emotion. Apply the paint in any way you want. This is part of releasing any negative pent up feeling you have within you.
The benefits of art therapy is actually broad. People who are having problems with their poor social skills can actually find solace in art. Introvert and withdrawn people usually use art to express things they cannot express verbally and socially with others which helps them to find inner comfort in solitude without necessarily having to feel lonely.
So, are you feeling blue, angered, or frustrated because of the many reasons life lets you experience? Try applying art therapy into your set of hobbies. You may find out that inner comfort can be experienced through the arts.
