Expressive Art Therapy: A Journey Of Self-Exploration

When is the last time you picked up therapy for yourself? This question might be a daunting one but this one I am telling you here is a fun therapy you ever have heard of. Art is therapy- A notion you have heard ‘n’ number of times in your life. But have you ever contemplate on why it is called therapy. I chanced upon a therapy called ‘Expressive Art Therapy’ (EAT) a little over a month back.

To say a least, by mere a chance, everything around me came to life when I started practicing it.

Knowing about the ebbs and flows of your uncontrolled mind, the essence of this therapy is to explore your inner and outer world through the experience and creation of different art forms. I know when you think of this Expressive Art Therapy, you tend to think it’s not your cup-of-tea because it focuses on the word ‘Art’.

It is all moonshine to say that you have to be good at ‘drawing’ because it is more about painting, drawing, writing, music, dance( any motion), and sculpting.

Every art form expresses you.  It’s sometimes hard for us to distinguish between expressive arts therapy and art therapy. The difference is that expressive arts therapy indulges one in an array of art forms and art therapy focuses on one particular art form.

What is Expressive Art Therapy?

Expressive art therapy is

• self-nurturing therapy by which various art modalities are used as a catalyst to enhance one’s personal growth, healing, and creative skills.

• the connecting bridge that puts the body, mind, and spirit altogether to heal from an uncurbed messy mind.

• therapy that connects you to your inner artist no matter if you are a painter, dancer, writer, bakers, musician, and sculpture.

Self-doubt and the inner narrator can cause havoc on our mind as a result sabotaging us, our health and mind.  

Debate it. Prove it wrong.

How Expressive Art Therapy heals?

Imagination is its thing. What you imagine is what you implement. When you implement what you are feeling, it exudes a sense of relief and stress from your mind and shoulders. Why? Because you are doing that out of your freedom. With your own will. When you do something like a free bird you instill a sense of gratefulness and feeling of warmth prevails.

What is your investment in EAT?

It does not require any medication nor does it require any special talent and skills. It requires your time and zeal.

Buckle up the following short yet easy ritual that can put you up on track:

1.   Spare 15 minutes from your daily drill. (Add extra 5 minutes every day/week)

2.    Start practicing on what you feel like doing. (Set up a list)

3.    Knack the principle of consistency. (Do not procrastinate)

4.    Don’t hesitate to seek help. (Resort to your friends & colleagues)

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Making time from a crammed schedule will seem to be arduous and hard but eventually, it will make a huge difference. It will be worth every minute decluttering. This is how you will conquer your stress-related affairs and demonstrate the attitude of gratitude.

It takes practice to ignore the voices in your head and celebrating ‘new-you’ every day!

What does EAT focus on?

This therapy does its bit in combatting the behavioral, emotional, and mental health conditions:

These include:

·         Lack of self-awareness

·         Developmental disabilities

·         Emotional Resilience

·         Imagination

·          Stress

·         Depression

·         Social challenges

Sometimes, it becomes humanly impossible to control our behavioral, emotional, and mental health conditions and expressive art therapy asks to use the practice of consistency to challenge yourself to think of creative things instead of focusing on what you can’t do. After all, it’s a habit that feeds a soul.

What kind of EAT you can opt for?

In these hurried days of work and life, stress and anxiety go hand-in-hand and we hardly make time for ourselves to while away the disturbing affairs. Well, folks, it is possible if you think it’s not.  

I personally opted for art therapies. It combines psychotherapy and visual art. You can go for music, poetry, dance, drama therapy as well.

Make a Mandala art:

Mandala is an absolute stress-buster for me. It is remarkably soothing to make as you go through one circle to another. Sacred circles of Mandala Art have magical healing power for all age groups.

Make a Pen Art:

This is the bookmark I made recently and it was made out of boredom. The rolling of your pen nib with a complete blend of twists and turns incorporated me in re-experiencing my inner conflict. It is actually a roadmap for escapism.

Make Calligraphy Art:

I made this Calligraphy Art back in 2018 and it really cost me a good deal of relaxation from my exams.

Detailing various anecdotes and infusing all the aforementioned therapies to my daily routine just delight my day because they have been a great learning curve for me. You can go for what everything gives you delight from baking a cake to just visual art.

Let’s bring this expressive art therapy into the world for growth, healing, communication, and collaborative learning.

Do let us know in a comment below what kind of Expressive Art Therapy you love to do? 

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Image Source: Pixabay

Source: GoodTherapy

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