Visual art therapy is a unique form that uses colors, paints, clay, paper, and other multimedia to provide clients with a concrete expression of their inner processes. The aim is expression rather than display, and the work created can often be a revelation in unexpected ways for clients. The experience of art-making provides a direct experience, and the materials used invite clients to respond physically and emotionally.
Creating a piece of work and discussing the creative aspects can sometimes serve as a link or an entrance to memories and experiences that have been suppressed or stored away, or those that are difficult to express in words. However, this can be daunting and requires the presence of a trained therapist and a safe environment so it can be processed in a manner that hands the control of the pace back to the client.
Artistic work created in a therapeutic setting and under the guidance of an arts-based therapy practitioner often helps give shape to clients’ habitual patterns, moods, and sense of self. Clients see a reflection of their selves in their work from a safe distance and can respond to it or transform it. This process can sometimes reveal work that clients are not yet ready to accept or share, but the therapist is there to help them through it.
Visual art therapy is an exciting and unique way to explore your inner self and work through difficult emotions. A group has made the scribble art shown below of adolescent women struggling with a sense of self. Their work allowed them to process their struggles and come up with choices, in the future.
Have you ever tried it?
