Exploring the Therapeutic Benefits of Art for Mental Wellbeing

In the past few months, I have delved deeper into understanding how art can be beneficial and how it can assist us in our daily lives.

When we detach art from the obligation of creating something that others will appreciate and instead concentrate on expressing our own thoughts and feelings for the sake of release, we can recognize the advantages art brings to our lives.

Humans have always used art as a means of self-expression. There are numerous well-known examples, including Vincent van Gogh, Adrian Hill, Frida Kahlo, and Jean-Michel Basquiat, to name just a few.

The simple act of creating can be inherently therapeutic. It serves as an outlet for emotions and a way to build self-esteem; it can indeed be a tool for healing the soul.

Through art-making, individuals can safely and securely explore their feelings, thoughts, and experiences.

Art can be utilized as therapy and:

• Aids in developing imagination and cognitive functions

• Encourages self-awareness exploration and assists in meditation, particularly in today's mindfulness practices

• Enhances the perception of problems, situations, and the environment, and serves as a useful tool for visualization techniques

• Creates a favorable and relaxing atmosphere.

In Alain de Botton's book, "Art as Therapy," seven functions of art are outlined. But ultimately, what is the purpose of art?

Hands skillfully shape clay on a potter's wheel, capturing the calming essence of creative therapy.

Alain answers this by defining art as a tool that can "correct or compensate for a range of psychological frailties."

We often forget what truly matters, and art helps us reframe what is important in our lives. Similarly, since we tend to lose hope, it keeps encouraging us. We easily panic and misjudge our surroundings, but art helps provide the right perspective. Often, we lose balance, and art can serve as a stabilizing force in our daily lives. We are difficult to understand, but with its expressive power, art can help us better know ourselves. We frequently reject what we are unfamiliar with or what is presented in an unappealing manner, as mentioned in the book. Art can extend our experiences. Lastly, in today's world, we often worry that life is happening elsewhere and we're missing out. Art helps us regain perspective, giving the right weight to our choices and experiences.

This perspective suggests that art, in its various forms, is a powerful tool to develop and apply in any of the situations mentioned above.

Since we are all different, not every case may apply to everyone, but I would be interested to know what aspects might intrigue the readers or what they are interested in trying.

Here the link of the book I used as source of my article: Art as Therapy