Art Lovers discussion
Art in Healing
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How would art be used to heal?
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Heather
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Jul 31, 2015 03:32PM
I am interested in this topic on how to use art as a method of healing as suggested by Karl. How would one heal someone using art?
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One of the artists that got her MFA at the same time as I did subsequently got a certificate in Art Therapy. I lost touch with her not long after that so I never talked with her about it, but here's a link to the Art Therapy Association. http://arttherapy.org/
intresting, I will post my ideas, on music preferences ... after iI soothe my own pains , come morrow !nighty nighty ladies
I can see it being beneficial for people with mental illness, like PTSD or depression, or with something like stroke victims or dementia patients. I'm not sure how it would help with other things.
Melissa wrote: "I can see it being beneficial for people with mental illness, like PTSD or depression, or with something like stroke victims or dementia patients. I'm not sure how it would help with other things."Right. Can't see It curing appendicitis or a broken toe. But it might help in dealing with extended pain.
I think that there is an ability of art to engage people deeply, and there can be a general curative aspect in that it can enhance their life. This could aid in healing, not in the sense of fixing the broken bones etc., but in aiding the psychological healing in the case of even physical illness--physical illness after all has a negative or at the very least a challenging effect on the psychological, which in turn can id physical healing.I had a personal experience of surviving a very bad automobile accident, and having a couple of paintings that I had almost completed. I hung them on my bedroom wall where I could look at them and think of what I wanted to do. I was able to get up and stand from 5 to 10 minutes at a time; I'd mix a little paint on a tiny bit of paper palette and work on them a little bit at a time.
I see a lot of calls for entry for proposals from artists to decorate hospitals.
I think art in hospitals can be therapeutic. It makes a patient feel more in the real world, in a sense. No, it doesn't 'cure' the illness or injury, but psychologically I think it 'heals' the mind.
P.S. thank you for sharing your experience, Ed.
As a young girl I had a depressive personality and often suffered from migraines. My mother allowed me to choose a picture for my bedroom; and when I was most depressed, I could imagine myself inside the scene of two children standing in front of a watermill and barn by Paul Detlefsen (http://www.bigredtoybox.com/cgi-bin/t... never failed to calm me and give me a feeling of peace.
Heather wrote: "I think art in hospitals can be therapeutic. It makes a patient feel more in the real world, in a sense. No, it doesn't 'cure' the illness or injury, but psychologically I think it 'heals' the mind."Art therapists usually work with the patients by having them make art themselves , often under guided circumstances. It gives them another way to express themselves.
So, just putting it out there, I'm hoping to do my Masters next year in Art Therapy, will let ya know how I go.
btw., I do volunteer work at My Mum's assisted living home, and I assist in helping use art to inspire, and to some extent, heal those with neurological issues.
It's more than just a placebo effect. The right therapies can actually help create new neurological pathways, bypassing damaged areas.
Combined with structured physio, in other places it's helped with stroke victims, brain accident victims, and the psychological trauma of all this. The stress of which does in fact change brain patterns, and cause chemical imbalances.
But more importantly, it can give back quality of life to those who fear they have nothing left.
It's so much more than colouring in. 🤓🎨
Ed wrote: "I think that there is an ability of art to engage people deeply, and there can be a general curative aspect in that it can enhance their life. This could aid in healing, not in the sense of fixing ..."True..
Finding art again .. drawing and painting and being engaged with all the art podcasts , this group and such has helped me steady myself.. its given me a confidence I can't quite explain..
I was rather lost for a long time... in a kind of amotivation / apathy kind of thing.. but since 2 /3 years finding art again has definitely helped me find that lost me.. I mean that sense of who we are.. our likes and dislikes etc.. and there is a sense of direction too..
It is something that gives one a deep sense of contentment.
But Art Therapy is different ,I think..... and its intertwined with psychology too, at least thats what I understood.
Thanks, Ruth.
Will check out the link.
siriusedward wrote: "Ed wrote: "I think that there is an ability of art to engage people deeply, and there can be a general curative aspect in that it can enhance their life. This could aid in healing, not in the sense..."One hundred percent correct. Thank you.
So glad you found some peace and balance in your life through art.
What do you practise, if you don't mind me asking?
I am trying different mediums .. pen and ink , graphite and charcoal drawing and watercolor and acrylics and some oil pastel and soft pastels....just trying to learn them..
siriusedward wrote: "Finding art again .. drawing and painting and being engaged with all the art podcasts , this group and such has helped me steady myself.. its given me a confidence I can't quite explain..I was rather lost for a long time... in a kind of amotivation / apathy kind of thing.. but since 2 /3 years finding art again has definitely helped me find that lost me.. I mean that sense of who we are.. our likes and dislikes etc.. and there is a sense of direction too...."
That is a deeply personal admittance. I appreciate that very much. And also you brought up many things that delving into art has helped you with in how it helped you find yourself, or your sense of direction. Your story can help others in finding their niche in their own space, in their circle or friends, in their school, or in the world they live in! People might be inspired by your words. Thank you for what you wrote!
siriusedward wrote: "I am trying different mediums .. pen and ink , graphite and charcoal drawing and watercolor and acrylics and some oil pastel and soft pastels....just trying to learn them.."A traditionalist. I confess, that I tend be so, myself.
Having said this, I would recommend potentially not limiting yourself.
You may find things such as collage, paper cutting, wire and wax sculpture, crochet and wire, mobile phone pics... the ideas are endless.
Many of these can also be incorporated with the more traditional.
Just something to consider.
Ideas that can offer so much more, without first requiring a degree in arts.
Happy creating ✏️
Yes, but first let us acquire some skill in the basics.then we will see...
Thanks, Jai.
Thanks, Heather.
Those are good recommendations, Jai. What fun to create! But I have to agree with SE, I would need to stick to the basics first, too. BUT, I do a lot of collage. I have collaged (is that a word?) my bedroom door! It looks awesome and I had a blast!
Heather wrote: "Those are good recommendations, Jai. What fun to create! But I have to agree with SE, I would need to stick to the basics first, too. BUT, I do a lot of collage. I have collaged (is that a word?) m..."I would so love to see an image of that!!
Here's something I learn't, and TRY to apply to myself.
"Art is anything you can get away with!" "If you can draw a stick figure, you can draw, the rest is practise" (and I always add passion, without, you might give up).
Don't get too hung up on what others tell you must be done, or how, or in what order.
Follow your passion, and allow it to develop how it will. Don't be afraid to explore. This is all I was trying to lead towards.
It's so easy to think those who came before know all, have all, and must be copied, to be equal.
RUBBISH, follow the impressionists example, and find your own truths, your own style, your own methods, your own interpretation of what dictates art. 👩🎨
