The Popular Arts Foundation

                                    Art and Mental Health

Many different techniques and strategies are used in mental therapy.  Arts and Crafts is just one of these effective treatments.  Arts and crafts could be used by individuals , suffering from mood disorders, as a practical way of self-expression. Mood disorder patients help themselves overcome anxiety, depression while, at the same time, exploring different hidden aspects of their persona.  Art therapy involves various techniques in psychotherapy which are mixed with artistic activities to improve the mental health and the well being of patients. This theory is based on the belief that artistic techniques, which are involved in the self-expression of the individual, helps people resolve their conflicts and problems, develop interpersonal skills, reduce stress, manage behavior, increase self-esteem  and self-awareness and achieve a more consciencious state of mind.  the american Art Therapy Association describes "art therapy" as a "mental health proffesion that uses the creative process of art making to improve and enhance the physical, mental and emotional well-being of individuals of all ages."  

                                                                                   Origins of Art Therapy

Although people have been using the arts as a way to express, communicate and heal for thousand of years, art therapy first appeared during the mid 20th century. Since before this time, mental health proffesional started to noticed that mental illed patients often expressed their mental mood by means of drawing and painting.  This knowledge was waht initiated the art therapy movement in the U.S. Since that time, arts and crafts have become an important aspect in the field of mental health which incorporated this technique to the assesment and treatment of mental illness.

                                                                  How Does Art Therapy Works?

An art therapist may use a variety of methods including drawing, painting, sculpture and other techniques such as collage with patinets ranging from young children to elderly. People who have experienced emotional trauma, physical violence, domestic abuse, anxiety, depression and other psychological issues can benefit from expressing themselves creatively.  Hospitals, private mental health offices, schools and community centers are all possible settings where art therapy coul be offered. While art therapy is its own field, you use the benefits of art to express your creative side and drawing skills to reduce stress and get in-touched with your most inner feelings. If you stop fopr a moment and think about it you'll realized that you had a sense of this when you played with dough as a kid or you wanted to use your hands to paint the wall or your house or when you played with crayons; nowbody was stressed out when doing that! Now as adults, we seldom have time to express ourselves like we did in those goodall days.  One other reason for art therapy to work is that that art of drawing, painting or sculpting using what ever is available could relieve your stress in several ways:

Distractions:  Drawing and art can take your mind off  of what is sttressing you, at least for the time that you are doing your activities; and when you're finished your creations, you could have a clearer  state of mind and a more relaxed body. 

Flow:  There is a certain quality of being called "flow", that experts say is very helpful to our brain. Flow refers to a state of being completely engaged in something to the point of being in an almost meditational state of mind.  This has many of the benefits that meditation offers, leaving your body and your mind with less stress than before.  You can experience "flow" when you are doing creative activities like writting, drawing, and even gardening. 

Self Care: Just the fact of having a hobby can make you feel more balanced in your daily life.  Many times, with all the responsibilities of our modern times, we often forget that we need "time off " and "sel care".  Taking even a few minutes, during your rutine to be devoted to a hobby can give more that you imagine in this area.  With activities such as painting, esculpting or drawing, you could enjoy the additional benefits of being left with something interesting and unique.

Do-It Yourself!!  Art Therapy for Stress Relieve: One of my favorite ways to use drawing for stress relief is to maintain a sketch diary. Keeping a sketchbook can be a and it can be cathartic, creative, and stress relieving. You can use a journal for personal art therapy and stress management in the following ways:  Sketch pictures that describe your feelings related to things that are currently causing you stress; this activity could be a way of processing your related emotions, rreducing some of the stress these emotions carry.

Sketch abstract pictures that express feelings rrelated to past sttressfull experiences, as a way of processing your emotions and healing at the same time.

Keep a dream diary and sketch images from your dream you would like to remember or to better comprehend.

Keep a sketch diary of what you think is a beautiful life.  Draw the faces of those you love, places that bring you peace, or other pieces of beauty.  The process of sketching could be a great stress reliever, and revisiting your creations can also bring you some peace in the future.

Find Real Happiness in Your Life

While there is more to happiness than just the absence of stress, there are relationships between stress-relieving activities and happiness.  Dr. Michael Frisch, a Baylor University professor and pioneer in the increasingly popular field of Positive Psychology, has found 16 areas of life that contributes to a person's happiness, and measuring satisfaction in these areas can help measure a person's overall level of happiness and life satisfaction.  Interestingly, many of the thigs which bring happiness arer also things that relieve stress, such as exercise, expressing crreativity, maintaining supportive friendships, keeping an organized home, and enjoying your work.  When you are overwhelmed with stress, often just relieving the imminent presures is foremost critical for your mind.  Following a stress relieve program that also includes activities known to increase happiness can give you stress-relieve, and the lasting gains of a happy life; and when you incorporate into your life a general state of happiness, and when you make this way of life, a habit, you'll be able to better cope with future episodes of sttress in your life.