Art therapy is a well-used and well-loved endeavor for many people. Recently, I’ve begun my own journey into art therapy, and I wanted to share this experience with you. Additionally, I wanted to give you my thoughts on art therapy and the benefits I’ve found within different mediums.
So, if you’ve never heard of art therapy or aren’t sure if it’s right for you, this is a great place to start!
Disclaimer: All of the views and opinions in this post are solely my own and are not sponsored. This post may include affiliate links, meaning I earn a commission through links at no cost to you.
Important Disclaimer: I am not a licensed professional, nor am I a qualified therapist. This is simply my experience and understanding of art therapy as a writer and creator. This article is opinion-based, but I will link out to other credible sources for facts. Please have your own experience reading this article and understand that much of this is rooted in my personal opinions!
What is art therapy?
Art therapy is a form of psychotherapy (a version of therapy centered around the psyche and mental wellness). Art therapy encourages participants to use art such as painting, drawing, sculpting, or other mediums as a means of self-expression and understanding.
As a therapy, art therapy works to eliminate negative thought patterns that are harmful to the participant and focuses on intentionality, expression, emotional intelligence, and greater understanding of the world and self.
If you want to learn more about art therapy, the American Art Therapy Association goes more in-depth on the topic.
Different kinds of art therapy
There are several different art therapy mediums. If you are interested in participating in art therapy, you should start by asking yourself which medium you’d like to focus on. Additionally, some mediums can be used in art therapy and group therapy classes. So, if you’re looking for additional guidance and accountability, check out your local community for art therapy clubs near you.
Painting
Painting is one of the most common art therapy mediums. When painting for art therapy, there is more focus on meditation and the state of tranquility where one allows their mind to wander. Often abstract paintings in art therapy represent the emotions, memories or tell a story of our subconscious thoughts.
If you are interested in painting for art therapy, YouTube has many fantastic resources. I really love Erica Pang Art, but there are many others to choose from as well.
One interesting thing about painting for art therapy is that after you have finished painting, it’s recommended that you analyze your colors of choice, your lines, shapes, and mannerisms within the painting to better gauge your subconscious thoughts.
Sketching
Similar to art, sketching is another common form of art therapy. Sketching is less focused on what you achieve and analyze at the end and more about the messy process of getting ideas out on the page. (At least from my experience!)
I consider sketching for art therapy to be very similar to journaling in that it’s quick, messy, and unplanned. But that makes it all the more beautiful.
Sculpting
I miss my 3D art class in high school. There’s something immensely satisfying about smashing and molding clay. While I am not as familiar with the therapeutic implications of sculpting, I do know it’s another favorite for art therapy.
Sculpting is more hands-on and action-centered than the previous mediums. Additionally, it’s more focused on the systematic construction of art rather than free expression. Personally, I found that sculpting allowed me to find more control over my life, thoughts, and feelings, which during high school, was a welcome feeling.
Scrapbooking
My forte is scrapbooking. If you’ve seen my youtube channel, you know I love to create intricate scrapbook pages that my viewers can follow along to. Scrapbooking has much of the same effects on me as sculpting, except it is more precise, delicate, and requires more patience.
I think the most therapeutic aspect of scrapbooking is the meditative state you must place yourself in, where you’re caught between deep concentration and daydreams. I love to sit there in total silence, with only myself and my vision for how I want the spread to look.
There is also a surplus of patience required as, much like with painting, you essentially sit there and watch glue dry!
It sounds silly, but this is why I love scrapbooking, and I firmly believe it to be a form of art therapy.
Hobby art
Hobby art or any other form of art can also be used as a method of art therapy. Again, I don’t have much say on this topic, but there are plenty of resources out there to help you navigate the world of art therapy.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy
If you haven’t read my blog post on journaling for mental health, I highly encourage you to do so! It’s an informative article on the benefits of journaling and why cognitive behavioral therapy (or CBT) matters.
In simplistic terms, CBT is another form of psychotherapy that analyzes thought patterns, behaviors, and moods for distortions, fallacies, and other adverse effects.
In a sense, art therapy could be a tool for CBT as a means for release and creative expression and as a means for discovering our thoughts and how they shape our reality.
Journaling
Journaling is by far my favorite activity for CBT. While I wouldn’t consider journaling an “art,” I find it valuable for people of all ages to participate. Additionally, I’ve begun pairing my journaling with scrapbooking to invite more creativity and art into the practice.
If you’re interested in getting into journaling, I have dozens of fantastic resources. Start here and get 100 free journal prompts to help guide your journaling experience. Or read any number of my journaling blog posts for the best tips and tricks!
Should you try art for therapy?
I think everyone should give art therapy a go at least once in their lifetime. No matter the medium or goal, art therapy is an excellent way to broaden your personal horizons and work towards achieving that connection with your higher self.
While I never want my audience to think that happiness is the goal of life (we need to experience negative emotions now and again), I have found that art therapy contributes to a happier mindset and overall life satisfaction. These, I believe, are important things to work towards.
I highly encourage you to look into the benefits of art therapy and decide for yourself whether it is worth it or not.
If you like this post, check out some similar posts of mine below!
Feel free to leave a comment below and let me know your experience with art therapy!
You can also email me with questions or concerns you may have at info.amelia.wilson@gmail.com
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Disclaimer: All of the views and opinions in this post are solely my own and are not sponsored. This post includes affiliate links, meaning I earn a commission through links at no cost to you.
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