Category: Art Therapies
Alternative Therapies – How Can Healing Start Through Art?
“Art is the activity by which a person, having experienced an emotion, intentionally transmits it to others”
– Leo Tolstoy
According to the dictionary (Merriam-Webster), “the conscious use of skill and creative imagination especially in the production of aesthetic objects” is what art is all about. It is an expression of human creativity and that’s where its beauty lies. With a unique diversity attached to it, art cannot be contained in a category. If I had to define it, I would say;
Art is creativity, a channel to express yourself.
It can be entertaining and can be visually appealing.
Art is a process of filling the blank canvas.
Or using words to create a masterpiece.
It is an activity that exhibits beauty.
Art is the way of life, so intense yet so wondrous.
Today, when we talk about healing techniques, art is also a form of therapy that works wonderfully. Art healing or art therapy is a term used when art is applied to ensure emotional and physical healing. However, art therapy is between a doctor and a patient whereas art healing an individual process.
We all have art in our souls, if not found easily, know that it is hidden somewhere deep inside you. All you need to do is pull it out and bring it to surface. Art therapy is a fairly new healing process, where only in the last 60 years or so did the health professionals start acknowledging it. It is only then they realized the power of art and music on physical, mental, and emotional well-being of an individual.
Art therapy is based on the idea that creativity can lead to healing and enhance the quality of life. It is basically a form of communication, where it promotes growth, self-expression, emotion atonement, resolution of any conflict, and transformation of the mind.
ASMR Fantasy – Sound Healing
Have you heard about ASMR sound therapy? it’s very popular thing on Twitch these days and it’s about time adult-oriented companies prepared their version of entertainment dedicated to this technological thing. Watch both visual and sound entertainment dedicated to adults – this is ASMR Fantasy.
Health Issues That Art Therapy Can Heal
“Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.”
– Thomas Merton
Art therapy is not age restricted. According to a research, this form of therapy can also enhance communication and concentration in an individual and reduce the feeling of loneliness or isolation. It is also known to enhance self-esteem, awareness in oneself, and confidence. It also tackles;
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Substance Dependency
- Stress
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity
- Aging and Geriatric Issues
- Family or Relationship Problems
- Cancer
- Cognitive Impairments
- Eating Disorders
- Compassion Fatigue
- Heart Disease
Since art therapy doesn’t use speech but a form of creativity, it is believed that individuals who are out of touch with their feelings or emotions can truly benefit. Also, for individuals with a painful past, who find it extremely traumatic even thinking about it can really benefit from this therapy. According to a recent research, art therapy is also found useful for patients diagnosed with schizophrenia. However, intense trails are being conducted to know the extent to benefits.
What Are Some Of The Techniques Used In Art Therapy?
“Art must be life — it must belong to everybody.”
-Marina Abramović
When you visit an art therapist, he or she will know the power that creativity holds. They make use of psychological, spiritual, and various artistic theories mashed with the clinical techniques to achieve the desired outcome. This wondrous form of therapy has proved beneficial for individuals who use non-verbal form of communication and even for professional artists.
Some of the common techniques used in art therapy include; painting, doodling, scribbling, sculpting, drawing, clay art, pottery, making cards, using textiles, making collages, and so much more.
According to a study conducted in the year 2004, 32 women were involved, who were studying from heart disease. They were all interviewed first and then later asked to illustrate their condition. All the drawing was then put into three categories; heart in the center, heart in a living body, and heart disease as a social condition. The use of colors, the spacing, the composition, and the entire art was then analyzed. This helped healthcare professionals to see what the women were seeing when it comes to their condition. And, this helped them approach the illness in a better manner.
Art helps provide refuge from the inner turmoil we go through every now and then. It helps detangle our emotions and enhance positivity.
Arts Breathes A Deeper Meaning To Life
Rationality shapes the intellect of a human but there’s more to a personality than just being logical. Art whispers spiritual and philosophical aspects that colour life deeper. It not only helps in carving ideas but connects us to our emotions leading towards self-actualization. Our life has more meaning as even small aspects are touched by Art on daily basis.
Moved And Moving Art
Art branches into two graceful parts, music and dance. These are the languages of expression that come from the core of any being. Subconsciously, we are always hearing music whether it is tapping of the keys or whirring of the wind. Similarly, our bodies are constantly in motion. Both positively affect moods and increase motivation, determination while reducing stress.
The Classical Art
Monet, Picasso, Vinci are some names on the tip of the tongue when paintings or art is mentioned. Museums have artefacts from over centuries where every nomad became an artist with wall art, tools, vessels and more. It’s an experience of developing, standing in front of a painting and observing its strokes and effects while trying to decipher the latent meaning behind what the canvas holds. All these together make the classic art that is studied thoroughly, imitated or used as inspiration even today.
Art Decorates Personal Space
From the very construction of a house to the miniature statue of Laughing Buddha picked from the sweltering sands of Bali, there are innumerable things that make Art at home. It’s not just a pleasure for the eyes but the technicality put into things that make an ordinary space home. It could be something as simple as a quilt or the usual tea set used for evening snacks. Everything is a form of art.
Art On Screens And Paper
Words or films infuse happiness in the mind. They both tell stories that stick around. Whether it’s a set, costume, make-up of a movie or the way the book cover looks, character dresses etc, all focus on creating Art for the soul. Many artists have even switched pens and brushes to digital imitations where graphic designing is gaining momentum. From scribbles on the wall, we have come a long way to intricacies on the screen. Through general mediums like comics, artists are still earning their bread and butter.
Adult Time Art – Bubblegum Dungeon
Today’s art can have 1000’s of faces. But what when it comes to adult art. Is it recognized in mainstream by now? Adult Time network is taking an interesting approach in achieving that. They take BDSM genre and lure it out of deep dark places like dungeons. Mainstream version of BDSM will be full of colors, funny make-ups and positivity all around it. Sounds impossible? Well, there is already first episode of the series and it looks like it is going to be achieved!
Advertising Art
From billboards to graffiti, from walls to advertisements, art plays a role in swaying thoughts and choices. If it is a tourism industry, then carefully shot natural and manmade art is what would attract more attention. Even general places like hospitals or corporate offices make their spaces surrounded with art to boost recovery or productivity.
Our brain has been trained to overlook minimalistic things that can be Art especially in the fast-paced humdrum of today’s life. However, without the aesthetic touch, humanity wouldn’t be what it is. Cultures, traditions, history and even humans themselves understand so much more through Art. So, take a moment from running around, breathe and let Art make magic in you!
5 Ways That Art Therapy Can Help To Heal You
Ever wondered what Art Therapy is and what it can do for your health? The drive to create is right within the average human. Creativity has no bias for age, language, sex, and race. Art is life and true to it, it actually improves life in its own unique ways.
What Art Therapy Is
Art Therapy can be regarded as an expressive therapy that makes use of the creativity in arts for a person’s health improvement physically, mentally and emotionally. If you can express yourself artistically, this can positively impact your health. It can help manage your behaviors, feelings, focus and help your self-esteem. The good thing here is that you don’t need to be an artistic genius to derive the benefits that come with Art Therapy. Can what you draw on a piece of paper, including clay molding and sculpture actually help heal your body and mind?
Digital Art Era of Therapy?
Brother Crush – Step Family Life
These days, it’s easy to enjoy art in digital form. Given all major art resources and digitized, you don’t even need to leave home to enjoy and admire it. But things can be taken to even higher level. How? With video content. That’s the case when we talk about controversial and socially kept quiet kind of art. The latest development of Brother Crush seem to be a perfect example of this. It’s video series of fantasy step family living. Two new step brothers, now living under same roof only to build a taboo crush on each other. Is it love, is it just sexual lust? That’s the big question, but it’s pretty certain they engage in a lot of risky actions, only to get caught later.
Here are five ways that Art Therapy can indeed help to heal you:
1. Use Visualization As A Form Of Arts
Self-healing can be attained through art making by visualizing what you want to happen. There are lots of things we don’t have power over in our lives including our relationships, health issues and more. Our inner power and strength come alive through the creativity of the arts. You can get healed through art therapy by highlighting what you want to happen in the real world through art-making as you draw, paint or mold out what you intend for yourself. Once you can dream it, then, it is possible to attain.
2. Use Creative Arts For Emotional Relief
You won’t be able to tell how much negative emotions have been accumulated in your body until they are released. There is something unique about sculpturing, painting and molding clay or instrument playing which are all different forms of art therapy. All literally lightens your mood and improves your emotion, relieves stress and gives internal freedom.
3. Dance Is A Unique Art Therapy To Explore
Dancing is comparable to having a group meditation. It takes over from where your wondering minds stops and connects you with the current moments and giving you the needed relief through sound and movements. Movements through dance have positive effects on general body well-being. It improves your physical fitness and helps your mental balance.
4. Get Fully Immersed In Art To Improve Flow
Engaging in Art making can help your concentration as well improve your focus. These all help your Flow. Flow is positive. It is the state where you are completely immersed in what you do. For instance, if you were drawing an image and flow comes in, you will find yourself totally focused on what is at hand and would lose track of time and every other worry you may have. At this point, you become inseparable with the artwork. As a positive experience, flow is linked to improving performance and happiness.
Use Art Making To Excite The Senses For Health Improvement
The process of art making involves the senses of touch, sight, and smell. Using these senses can be an effective way to soothe the body and mind. Most times we take some time out in the sun, swim and take part in various activities to relax the mind which is actually not bad ways too. The art making process can equally if not better give this soothing relief when fully immersed in the practice. Regardless of the art, you are involved in, whether stitching of fabrics, painting on the canvas, or pottery, your senses are on the alert and keeps you active and coordinated.
Every one of us has an artistic part of us that needs to be activated for our mind and body healing. You can explore the different ways to tap into the healing power that can be achieved through various methods of Art Therapy.
How Arts Can Help Make Better Doctors
Healing Art Program
A story is told by Lisa Brandt, who knew that she was ailing at the point when she could barely move from her couch to the bed. She was aged 48 years by then and she was feeling a voracious thirst coupled with a chilled bone. A doctor examined her in 2011, when influenza was at an all-time high. After the examination, she was just told to go home and take a rest. Even at the point of having blood in her urine, the medical attendants scolded her and told her to stop taking the case of a flu too far. This case later turned out that Brandt was suffering from sepsis, a life-threatening complex infection that spreads stealthily after doctor’s work on the teeth. A doctor in a walk-in clinic based in London refused to attend to her. She however received some antibiotics at the nick of time hence saving her from a possible death.
Sometimes, patients tend to think that doctors can make out what they are suffering from even without much diagnosis. We imagine that doctors can guess our ailments and treat us just like the case of the brilliant diagnostician on the renowned TV series called House. However, in reality, doctors can only cover a given ground after an appointment period of around 15 minutes.
There is an increasing reliance of tools that save time such as blood tests, checklists for symptoms, ultrasound, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to properly diagnose patients.
Art for Patient
Even as we experience an age where medicine is embracing technology like it has never had, it is evident that doctors are not being trained at patient’s beds. Instead of this, most of the doctors are now being trained on how to use the super intelligent computer whose success rate is thought to be almost 93%. This is incomparable with the 51% percent success rate for human doctors.
Be that as it may, some doctors are opposed to the move and they insist that medicine should not be seen as just another science, it should be viewed as an art too. These medical professionals argue that education in arts and humanities forms the best remedy to the misguided diagnosis that has been experienced in various doctor’s quarters. The misdiagnosis has led to a stained patient-doctor relationship.
“Every doctor should undergo some training in art since they will have better clinical skills, according to Dr. Caroline Wellbery, a co-author of a research paper on the role of arts in medicine”
[Source: Arts and medicine]
Wellbery indicated that if medical students are taken through the role of shadows and light in painting work, they can gain better awareness on various ways of seeing. Wellbery has unmatched knowledge on the relationship between arts and medicine and she has been contacted by many students to train them. The skills that students gain while observing in arts can be of much help when the students come to a clinic. For example, if a patient complains of digestive problems, the doctor may know the root cause in a better manner if he/she is able to observe various facial expressions that show chronic anxiety and stress.
Art can Alleviate Stress in Patient
The benefits of arts observation are immeasurable. It has been proved that medical students who have been taken through an arts appreciation course for 8 weeks have a better and detailed ability to observe clinical slides that show patients who have diverse disorders. Such medical students cannot be compared to their colleagues who only focus on medical classes.
Moreover, exposure to the language used in arts makes medicine students to have sharp critical communication and thinking skills. A medical student who has gone through a communication course can easily decipher what a patient is suffering from through engaging him/her in leading stories. This is not another touchy-feely idea. A fervent study of the placebo effect indicates that focused care from a medical practitioner prompts faster healing, hence making the patient’s condition improve even without further medical care. Art-based courses should be introduced and made core units in medical schools.
If you visit Yale School of Medicine, you will find that first year students are supposed to attend an arts-observation workshop in a museum that has British paintings of 18th and 19th century.
Art Therapy Through Coffee Painting?
It has been a while since we read about some ideas in coffee painting. Life is more than coffee painting, yes, but let us explore what coffee painting does to the human mind and what therapy it brings. The human life is one complicated one. If there is no consistent therapy to treat the boredom, it is easy that one might fall into the dreaded stress or even into depression. This is the essence of the existence of arts.
Coffee painting is known across the world to be a perfect medium for therapeutic arts. It is an easy and simple way that uses natural pigmentation to create wonderful works of art that are endearing to the soul.
You do not have to spend any minute in boredom. You too, can also create your own work of art through the coffee painting. There are a few steps however that you should pay attention to lest you make something that does appease your spirit.
Step 1: Prepare your materials
Coffee Painting Techniques
You will need several materials and it is critical to have them ready before you begin to do anything.
Papers
You will require papers of good quality. A good example of such is the watercolor paper. If you lack such papers, get something whose base is very thick. A sketchpad paper is a perfect example that you can use. This is because you can take it anywhere and it is easy to use.
However, due to its several demerits, it is still recommended that you use the watercolor paper. There are some shops that supply good quality paper that will give you proper service.
Paint brushes
Get a paint brush that is easy and comfortable to use. The arts therapy session is supposed to be a relaxed one and enjoyable. Therefore, you should make sure that your paint brush does not give you stress. Acquire an easy one to use. If possible, get the fine tip paint brushes since they are light to hold and they can help you to create any details that you would need. Better still, get the round tip brush to help in making details and another flat tip brush to cover various areas or to aid in making washes.
Water and coffee
Get the pure black instant coffee. This is not the same as the 3-in-1. Mix the coffee with a little amount of water to have a dark shade of your coffee. Add more water if you are looking to have a light shade. Make use of a scratch paper to ensure that you have the correct shades that you need for your arts therapy session.
Optional items
Add more fun and thrill to your session with some candles or some cool music. The candles and/or music give you a full treat of fun as you paint. You could also do the therapeutic painting in a coffee shop since there is a perfect ambience and plenty of your favorite coffee.
Step 2: Do what you want
Coffee Painting Art
This is the perfect time for you to create what you want and hence express your feelings. Do not do it wrong, take your time and invest in a perfect work of art that will trigger your emotions and give the therapy that you so much look for. This time, it is only you, your coffee mix, and the paintbrushes. Make it count. Relax and have fun. You are not doing it for anyone. It is all for you. Do it with love and love what you are doing. If you do not have an idea of what to create, start with the image that comes to your mind. Use what your subconscious mind wants to express as opposed to trying to appease someone else. Let your hands free and let them work spontaneously. This is the perfect way to letting the subconscious mind to express what it wants to. You will realize that you are gifted when you let your mind free and your hands do the walking.
You can create anything you want. You will see therapy in your work once you are able to enjoy. The patterns that you draw could be something that you saw in the past, something that is bothering you at present or something that you anticipate will happen after this time. This is one of the easiest ways to tell whether you have dreams and aspirations within you that need to be nurtured. Moreover, arts therapy makes it easy for you to express longings, experiences, emotions, and other issues of life on paper.
On the Blog
Alternative Therapies – How Can Healing Start Through Art?23/04/2022
Arts Breathes A Deeper Meaning To Life14/11/2019
5 Ways That Art Therapy Can Help To Heal You12/06/2018
The World Can Be United Through Art16/01/2018
How Arts Can Help Make Better Doctors07/11/2017
About Me
Volunteering is my passion since I can say that I have reached the cream of my career. With the vast experience that I have gained from working in various capacities, I feel that I have a lot to give back to the community. My leisure time is not just spent having fun; I always look for a gap in the community and try to feel it in the best way possible. I have been a volunteer with the organization called All for Good. It is an organization that has helped me to find meaningful ways to engage with the community. I do not only volunteer for the sake of others, it is also for my own good.