HOW ART HEALS US
I receive a lot of psychology and art related publications in which scientific proof backs up headline after headline: Art Lowers Stress Levels. Art Reduces Symptoms of Chronic Illness. Art Lowers Depression. Dopamine levels rise while making art. It’s clear art works, but how?
Art provides a language beyond words which speaks for us when we don’t have words to express our thoughts and feelings. When we are born, we store images in our brains long before we develop language. Mother’s face, sunlight, colorful flowers…we don’t yet know these images have names, but they are stored just the same. Images mean something to us, and they become symbols both concrete and abstract. When we create art these symbols pour forth like words becoming language and “speak” for us. Everything on the page is part of the language. Colors, images, placement of images, white space…it all expresses us. We experience the benefit of putting our inner world “out there” rather than keeping it all buried inside. We are left with spaciousness where there was once emotional clutter.
Art challenges us to look at what is in front of us from different angles. In my experience as I struggle to resolve a logistical problem with a painting I often find solutions to real life issues. I am reminded that struggle is essential.
One mysterious thing making art does is connect us with our center…the seat of the soul. It does this by bringing us into the present moment. Creating becomes a sort of meditative practice where time is suspended. It is called being “in the flow”, and for me it is true bliss.
When I first started making art my creations were dark and macabre as if my work was constantly preparing for Halloween. It took awhile for me to realize I was purging all sorts of difficult emotions and memories. I criticized everything I made until one day a friend said to me “Wow. You are really hard on yourself. Please don’t talk to my friend like that.” It was a turning point. I began to listen and change my self talk…and my feelings followed. Art was helping me heal.
Today I help others discover the healing power of creating. Teaching is another step in my progression, and it solidifies everything I have been taught on my Journey. I hope that you will experiment with creating and find shifts in your thinking and feeling as I have. At the very least, creating art will make life a lot more fun.