Personal Art For Wellbeing: 8 Ways the Creative Process Can Heal
Can art be therapy even if it isn’t art therapy? While the word “therapy” is usually reserved for work that happens with a professional, there is a TON of healing that can happen through a personal art practice. Interested in how the creative process is inherently curative? Read on.
1. Quiet alone time
People tend to do art by themselves in quiet moments. Even if others are in the room, working on a project makes artists feel like they are in a world all their own. We all need to recharge sometimes, especially those of us who are introverts or Highly Sensitive People. One of the most basic reasons an art practice is healing is it gives the artist a break; a quiet moment to reflect and recharge.
2. Giving the artist power
So much of life is outside of our sphere of influence, and many times it’s the things we can’t change that create frustration and pain in our lives. People might not be able to change their health, families, or salaries, but when they sit down to work on an art piece, they can change anything they wants. Artists are empowered by their work because they are the masterminds of their own process. We all need to feel powerful, and art is a place we can.
3. Playtime for grown-ups
When we were kids, we spent most of our free time playing; essentially doing some kind of activity that served no purpose other than to enjoy being alive in the world, explore our surroundings, entertain the imagination, or engage with others. Sadly, most of us stopped engaging in play around puberty, but the truth is that WE STILL NEED IT! Play reduces stress, supports mindfulness, and engages different parts of the body and brain than goal-oriented grown-up behavior. When we experiment with art materials and processes as adults, we open up a pathway back to playfulness.
4. Making the abstract real
Artists have many different ways of working, but one common way is by starting with an idea, a feeling or a vision, then using art materials to bring it to life. For those who work in this way, making something that was once abstract into a tangible thing is exciting, validating, and esteem-building. Bringing a piece of art into the world can feel like a birthing process that leaves the new art parent flushed with pride and awe.
5. Small challenges make big victories
If you have experience making art, you have experience making mistakes. Sometimes it’s a challenge with not being able to get a line quite right, and other times it’s a having no freaking idea how you’re going to build what you’re picturing in your mind. Moments of frustration and confronting obstacles are actually invaluable parts of the creative process, because they challenge us to employ true creative problem-solving. The moment when an artist finds a solution to the challenge that is impeding his work becomes a personal victory, and this experiential victory stays with him as proof of his resourcefulness and perseverance as he meets other life challenges.
6. The flow state
Have you ever experienced a mental state of being relaxed, focused and completely losing track of time while doing something you enjoy? This is also known as “flow,” and it’s key to productivity for many creatives, athletes, and academics alike. When artists become absorbed in a project they are often 100% present in the moment with their work, forgetting temporarily about everything else in the world. Living in the world we live in (where multi-tasking, messaging and media are everything), sinking into a flow state for a few hours a week is a much-needed reprieve. For artists who set aside regular time to create, this creative flow space can function like an active meditation.
7. Transforming icky emotional stuff into something positive
This one isn’t true for all art, but let’s face it, there is a whole bunch of amazing art in the world that is inspired by feelings of pain, rage, rejection, fear, uncertainty, angst, etc. When we feel the uncomfortable intensity of these emotions, we naturally look for a place to discharge them. Art isn’t the only place that works, but it is a great way to jettison an excess of emotion. What feels like internal hell can be transformed into something compelling, commanding, and even beautiful.
8. Celebrating and expanding the good stuff
There are also times when artists create just to celebrate and explore something beautiful, inspiring, or personally significant. While working on the piece, artists dedicate conscious energy and time, which can expand the power of the positive entity in their lives. Then, when the piece is done, artists are (usually) left with a physical item that pays tribute to the positive idea. Some artists may choose to keep this type of piece in their homes or workspaces, where it can provide ongoing clarity and inspiration.