I would like to share something that is very personal to me & how I try to overcome it. I have a fair share of anxiety & depression in my life, been struggling to find non-biological ways to overcome it. I’ve always love art. Been drawing and painting since I was a little girl.
When I first discovered art therapy, I was ecstatic. Throughout my journey of art therapy, I’ve experimented with a few medias including watercolour and acrylic paint, and now I’ve been playing around with digital painting and that’s how I created Social Realm.
Now let’s get down to the nitty-gritty of art therapy. Depression is one of the most common mental disorders in the world. This mood disorder is marked by persistent loss of interest in life and feelings of sadness.
People who struggle with depression may have difficult time conjuring their feelings into words. The use of art therapy may provide a way for people to express themselves.
Typically there are 3 main branches of treatment, which covers biological, psychological and social factors. While the traditional methods of treating depression (CBT and medication) are often effective for many people, there are simpler alternative treatments like art therapy.
Art therapy isn’t simply about creating art, and no artistic ability or talent is necessary to participate. Anyone who feels overwhelmed or pressured by the hectic world should try art therapy.
It gives them opportunity to slow down, declutter their thoughts and explore issues that are occurring in their life. It provides them with a way to manage their behavior, reduce anxiety, process feelings, and destress.
Art therapy may help to improve mood, relieve stress, reduce anxiety, build self-esteem, boost happiness, and as a form of self-discovery. A lot of people find that their mood elevates when they’re being creative. This allows individuals to transform their negative feelings into ones that are more positive.
"Art therapy isn't simply about creating art, and no artistic ability or talent is necessary to participate"
Art therapy may reduce anxieties and allow individuals to be more focus on positive things. One of many reasons that people who struggle with depression is that they lack adequate amounts of a brain chemical called dopamine.
Known for feelings of enjoyment, dopamine provides motivation needed to start an activity and/or continue it. Creating art has been linked to increases in dopamine, which, in turn, increase feelings of happiness.
Artistic creation generates realization of self-expression, which leads to greater understanding of themselves, their personality, and what it takes for them to heal.
During the process of art creation, you will be taking yourself on a journey of self-discovery that will help you eliminate emotional roadblocks, and learn how to communicate with yourself and others.
Various artistic components — such as texture, different media and colours are part of the therapeutic process. This can lead to discoveries of individual’s feelings, psychological disposition, thoughts, and more.
Art therapy is not only limited to painting or drawing, there are other mediums that can be used. Colouring, collage, sculpting, and photography can also be discovered. It doesn’t matter what media you choose. The only thing that matters is that you feel comfortable using it.
Everyone can benefit from art therapy be it a child, adolescent, adult or senior.
The process of art therapy is not about the value of the end result. Instead, it is in the connections between the person’s life and the choices they make as they are creating.
Symbols, metaphors and/or messages chosen during the creation of art can lead to a greater understanding about behavior and feelings, which can lead to a resolution of deeper issues.
The most important thing is that you should try art therapy only if you want it. Expressing yourself through art can be self-revealing and sometimes equally painful as talking. So, if you still don’t feel ready to try it that is okay.