The Art of Healing Series: Intro
Art has the power to heal when you create and observe it. Creating has the ability to access both mind & body to promote healing on all levels, and should be something that is integrated into your self-care routines. Studies have shown that there is a correlation between viewing or creating visual arts and decreasing levels of stress hormone cortisol!
Similar to the way good therapy leads to understanding the inner self and provides support, art healing can become a useful healing practice, teaching us to confront and better comprehend thoughts, feelings, and patterns of behavior (Spiegal, Jeremy. arthealing: visual art for emotional insight and well-being. Portland, Seishin Book, 2011).
Whether you’re observing a piece of art, or creating something, you begin to forge a connection between your mind, body, and space.
Art Therapy, coined in 1942, has been used widely to cultivate self-esteem and awareness, improve cognitive and motor abilities, resolve conflicts or stress, and inspire resilience. Art therapy is founded on the assumption that everyone is creative and capable of self-expression. It has the ability to influence a wide range of human functioning including self-perception and interpersonal interactions.
Practicing art healing forces us to fill in the blanks regarding our lives the way an art collector might gradually fill up a house with personally meaningful works of art (Spiegal, Jeremy. arthealing: visual art for emotional insight and well-being. Portland, Seishin Book, 2011).
The next time you feel pressure or stress, buy a ticket to the local museum, or take out a piece of paper to create something that is free-flowing. You will experience a grounding and rewarding sense of connecting with yourself while distancing your mind away from the negative. Art can be a refuge for negative emotions and aid in expression.
In this The Art of Healing Series, we will introduce general topics around art therapy, art prompts, exercises, artworks, and ways you can ultimately use art to heal.