Art Therapy follows two definitions…
one is Art Psychotherapy, in which you are receiving mental health guidance from an external person besides yourself, who has been trained/educated in the psychology field to analyze your work. The second is self-guided. So that could be drawing in a coloring book, painting, sculpting, or creating with any medium as a way to make yourself feel calm and grounded. In the second definition, the act of creating becomes therapeutic. While creating on your own may feel similar to psychotherapy, it is more comparable to how we say “retail therapy” or “nature therapy”. It is important to keep in mind that it is not technically therapy in the sense that you are working on a mental health issue specifically. There is no external person in the process who is analyzing or working through emotions with you…it is just you and the materials. That being said, creating art to feel grounded and calm is in it itself therapeutic for a lot of people.
There is a certain type of openness creating allows. It combines reflection, imagination, and visual and spatial planning. You may begin to feel balanced as you create. This can come from the complex combination of structure and approachability that art allows. There really is no wrong way to make something…and for some of us, this might be the only area in our life where we can let go and be authentic in what we produce.
Coloring bookings are often labeled as art therapy and while technically “incorrect”, the idea is not for no reason. If you have ever seen a little kid making something or coloring, their entire state of being changes as they get more into the task at hand. They internally start to regulate their heart rate through controlled breathing and release muscle tension in their bodies. When you are anxious, or you have work and life on your mind, the act of focusing on something else can help relieve that internal dialogue and ground you. Kids don’t necessarily understand that they are being distracted because they are probably unaware of any anxieties in the first place. But as an adult, becoming consumed in an act of creating can be the catalyst to get you out of a funk, overthinking, or an anxious/stressed mind. That being said…you don’t have to be stressed out to enjoy art therapy! It can be a fun hobby to try even if you are having a great day.
A big hesitation before creating is what you’re going to create.
This worry can make you more stressed. What medium am I going to use, what supplies should I get and how do I start? This can make creating feel more like a chore. Coloring books are an easy transition into art therapy. All you need is the book and your coloring agents of choice. (Markers, crayons, pencils, pastels) They take the anxiety of “what” away and allow you to easily lose yourself in the act of creating. This will allow you to become present, focus on the now, let go of worry, and just enjoy yourself.
Most of our memories are stored as images… so colors and textures can evoke emotions that make us feel connected and retrospective. It might be useful to keep a notebook next to you when creating and as certain emotions arise try jotting them down. Communicate how creating makes you feel, what certain colors remind you of or how they make you feel, and how you are feeling throughout-in the beginning, middle, and when you have completed your image. At the end of creating your art, you can tape your notes to the back of it so you have a reference for the process in the future. This can help when trying to track emotional well-being.
The cool thing about art therapy is that it is more than just emotional…it is also a physical act of expression. When sculpting, drawing, or painting you are combining your body and mind to make something—physically putting a marker to paper and dragging that line into any shape or size. It is also something that can be done socially or individually. It can be taken on the road, done in a park, or in your bed while in your PJs.
Art is one of those things that isn’t going anywhere, and for good reason!
It is important. It makes us feel and it connects us. It is a language of its own and is something any person can enjoy in one way or another. So if you have ever been curious about art therapy, are ever bored, just looking for a new hobby, or want to invite your friends over and have an art party…do it! Go to Michael’s and get some markers, go online and find downloadable coloring sheets, (like the ones in our shop 😉) print a bunch, and get creative! But most importantly have fun with it…after all, some of the greatest artists were just flicking paint onto ginormous canvases. You never know where creating can take you!
