In my last post about therapy, I mentioned that I had more to talk about.
Art therapy is a specific type of therapy that targets its treatment by using different types of expressive ideas.
Before I say anything else, it is not all about painting and drawing. And you don’t even need to be “artistic” to use this technique.
What Is Art Therapy All About?
In short, art therapy is about expressing creativity and critical thinking. Think of art therapy as a creative escape. Before I say anything else, I just want to point out that it is important to express creativeness for everyone. Everybody can be creative in different ways. Therapy is about the experience, and art therapy is no different. It is about expressing yourself through the art of action and passion. Art therapy can be based on anything that you are passionate about.
Creativity
We live in a creative world. Think about it. Just thirty years ago there were no social media, there were no smartphones, and the tv was only just starting to be made with color. Innovation is everywhere and the boundaries of what is possible are being stretched. Creativeness is so important not only because we can learn something new, but because it preaches individuality. Expressing yourself can be done in so many different ways. The best thing about art therapy is that you do not even have to realize that you are doing anything uncomfortable. You could do anything such as taking classes in sculpting, writing, music, coloring, and photography.
It Is All About Unique Expression
How does what you create make you feel? When you create something, which is something you can do in any of the activities I mentioned, that something is yours. There is pride in that, there is a sense of accomplishment. Creating something new makes you learn something about yourself too. For example, I used to take piano lessons and while I don’t still play the piano, I always want to have music in my life. There are SO many different avenues that you can take! I will provide a couple of my recommendations here. Photography masterclass does the best job I have seen at revealing the secrets of photography and high quality pictures. Another recommendation is How to sketch. This simple book makes sketching anything you can think of so easy and fun. These two programs help to express yourself through two different avenues and there are so many more!
The Bottom Line
Art therapy is about expressing yourself freely and openly. That is what therapy in a nutshell is. But this is a more concentrated way of doing that. I will be running through other forms of therapy as well. I wanted to start with art therapy because it is a topic that does not get talked about enough. Be creative and open up your mind! The possibilities with this method are endless as long as your mind is sharp enough to imagine them.
Art Therapy sounds like fun. Count me in. I picture myself playing with paint on a canvas using my hands to just create a mess with color. I can certainly understand the need to be creative in this environment of television that numbs my mind. This is a great idea that we can do as a family.
Hi Frank!
That is what is so awesome about Art Therapy! It doesn’t have to be overly structured and it unleashes the creativity that is in all of us! Art Therapy really helps engage our minds and bodies in thought and movement.