“Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.”
– Pablo Picasso
Art therapy is a tool therapists use to help patients interpret, express, and resolve their emotions and thoughts. Art is considered a powerful form of expression. With art therapy, it has become a form of relaxation and rejuvenation as well. It uses the creative process of making art to improve mental, emotional, and physical well-being.
By combining psychological concepts with art forms such as drawing, painting, collage, coloring, or sculpting, art therapy helps you express yourself and your emotions while enhancing your self-awareness. It has also become a means for relaxation, rejuvenation, and a healthy way to cope with stress. Let’s look at how it works.
How Does Art Therapy Work?
A 2016 study published in the Journal of the American Art Therapy Association found that just 45 minutes of creative activity can reduce stress, regardless of artistic experience or talent. An article titled ‘Art Therapy as a Powerful Tool for Stress Management’ published by Samarpan Health says that art therapy helps you feel empowered and in charge of your emotions. “When under stress, people frequently feel helpless and overwhelmed, unable to handle the difficulties they face. However, by directing their feelings into concrete forms of expression, people can regain their agency and resilience through art therapy. People feel more in control and accomplished when they turn their inner battles into artistic creations, which boosts their self-esteem and confidence,” it stated.
Is Art Therapy For Everyone?
The art therapy process includes an art therapist, who guides you in interpreting nonverbal messages, symbols, and metaphors in the art forms. This helps you understand your feelings and behavior, and it can also help you resolve larger problems. An art therapist works with a variety of people in a variety of settings.
You do not need to be artistic for art therapy. Psychology Today states that this therapeutic process is not about the artistic value of the work but rather about finding associations between the creative choices made and a client’s inner life. Let us look at how art therapy can help in various aspects of life:
Biological Benefits of Art Therapy
Art significantly impacts an individual’s brain. According to the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine, studies have shown that by simply observing art, there is a boost in serotonin and increased blood flow to the brain. This natural connection between art and the brain confirms the numerous benefits of art therapy.
Psychological Benefits of Art Therapy
When it comes to the psychological domain, art therapy provides numerous benefits. Some of these benefits include:
Reduce stress levels: Art therapy provides much-needed relief from life’s stressful and overwhelming activities. In a past study of 45 participants, 75% of the people displayed reduced cortisol levels (a stress hormone). Participants also reported that the session inspired them to create art in the future.
Improved symptoms of anxiety and depression: Art therapy helps the individual in their emotional regulation resulting in better coping strategies for anxiety and depression.
Building better self-esteem and self-image: Art therapy promotes self-expression, along with independence, self-reliance, and self-sufficiency in individuals. This helps them build a better self-image and boosts their self-esteem as well.
Social Benefits of Art Therapy
Apart from the biological and psychological domains, art therapy has proven effective in the social aspect as well. A study by Potash and Ho (2011) suggests that for an individual affected by discrimination and stigma, art therapy can promote empathy and understanding of the societal forces involved.
Coping with Stress through Art therapy
Apart from regular breathing exercises and meditation, art therapy has become one of the popular means for an individual to cope with stress. With the free-flowing nature of art, you can express your deepest emotions which is a relaxation. Art is easily accessible, affordable, and in some cases, extremely enjoyable. It offers the participant some moments of relaxation and a ‘safe space’ for them to imagine and express peacefully.
Art therapy also serves as a form of self-care. An article titled ‘The Benefits of Art Therapy for Mental Health’ stated that dedicating a few minutes towards a hobby can give an individual to focus on them. It also states that art therapy helps distract individuals from stress and allows them to focus completely on one task.
Apart from relaxation, art therapy also helps you develop a great sense of self-awareness through its creative process. Let’s look at how you can practice simple art therapy practices that you can incorporate into your daily life.
How can you Practice Art Therapy to Relax?
If you prefer not to see an art therapist, you can still participate in this activity. Here are some suggestions that can help you practice art therapy which can help you relax and rejuvenate:
- Painting your emotions where you will solely focus on your emotions
- Journaling
- Mandala art
- Finger painting
- Using colours that calm you
Benefits of art therapy for stress
Art therapy combines creativity with care. Apart from its behavioural, psychological and social benefits, it can help improve various aspects of life for an individual. They are:
- It helps people who experience emotional trauma or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) by using art to release emotions, express pain and reduce stress.
- Creating art releases dopamine (the ‘happy hormone’) and fosters a desire to experience more of it.
- Creating art is an effective way to create a social impact and paves the way to growing connections as well.
- By focusing on one art piece, you discover new perspectives on perceiving the world. It promotes self-discovery in the process.
While other therapies depend on verbal communication to express feelings and overcome personal obstacles, art therapy allows for non-verbal communication that is free flowing.
Begin a Stress-Free Journey with Art Therapy
“Whenever I am stressed, I take some time off and start to paint. Now, it has not only become a hobby that I take part in, but it has also become my safe space, and I look forward to it. Every time I take part in art therapy, it makes me into a better version of myself,” said Ananya*(name changed) a young adult.
Art has always served as a medium for expression. With art therapy, it also becomes a medium for your emotions and desires to come out and express themselves. Using art therapy as a means of stress relief not only calms you but also helps you discover new aspects of yourself and learn new skills.