boiMAG.com "Wellness"

What's Art Got To Do With It?

by: Dr. Charla Waxman BS, MBA, EdD

It is said that what is created under the auspices of art cannot fail and cannot lie. This is just one reason among many that art for healing and recovery is so valuable.

Art is many things. Art is dance and movement, art is music, journaling and poetry and art is mediums of drawing, painting and sculpting. Art is the essence of creativity.

Combine creation and healing and a “newness” happens naturally. A new way of seeing things, a new reason for doing things, and a newly developed sense of self can spur emotions, dialogue, and hope for a future welllived.

Have you taken the time to use your idea of self and of art to energize you? Have you ever found that a blue mood was made better by writing or drawing? Are there certain songs that take you back to another time or place? If so, you have utilized the arts for the purposes of mental health.

Think about what inspires you and what you would enjoy doing: paint, dance, collage, or sculpt? Whatever it is, try it! Art can help you reduce stress and anxiety, manage behaviors or help you process feelings and past life events.

You say you have no artistic talent? It just doesn’t matter! Art is about

searching, it’s not about perfection. Art is more about the process than the product. Art is all about you. It boosts self-esteem, fights stress and anxiety, provides emotional release, and promotes self-discovery (rtor.org).

If art therapy is something that peaks your interest, start with the best. Find a qualified art therapist. A good place to try is the Art Therapy Credentials Board website. You may even be able to use your health insurance to help cover costs. Find a psychologist or master’s degreed therapist who has art therapy credentials; this may insure that your health insurance will approve your sessions.

Finally, make sure their art specialties match your areas of interest and that the therapist feels your mental health concern can improve with the use of art therapy. Be ready to talk through issues that bring you to seek support and what your personal goals are in working on healing through art.

The healing benefits of art are proven. If you would like a new perspective and maybe a new way of finding yourself; so why not try it?

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