The term art healing indicates the use of art to heal from mental suffering and pain. According to one study, art and creativity are healing medium for us and can have a considerable impact on patients spiritual health and happiness. Art is much more than just a beautiful epitome of talent and creativity, it is an extraordinary solution for humans miseries. Flexing our artistic muscles can enrich our existence, sentiments and devotions.
In one of the research conducted by the American Art Therapy Association, there was an average increase in happiness to 80.1% from just being 36.7% among six individuals after revealing their happy nostalgic moments through painting.
In a 2014 study, an art therapist of Drexel University investigated the effect of a single 45-minute art therapy session on stress in 39 healthy adults. The saliva of participants was sampled before and after the session to test levels of cortisol. For nearly 75% of participants, cortisol levels went down immediately after the art therapy session.
The term Art Therapy was coined by British artist Adrian Hill in the year 1942, who discovered the restorative benefits of painting and drawing while recovering from tuberculosis. Thenceforth, art has become a vital part of the therapeutic field and is used in some treatments. Healing from artworks on the heels of art can be defined as physical and emotional healing for those who suffer from mental illnesses such as chronic depression, anxiety disorders, bipolar disorders, etcetera as well as benefit people in confronting and alleviating with illnesses including some chronic diseases such as cancer, heart disease, influenza. Originated in the fields of art and psychotherapy, art healing is also a use of art material in cultivating self-esteem and awareness, resolving psychological conflicts and reducing stress and encouraging resilience in patients tormenting from mental disorders and psychological distress.
From old-time, art is being used as a means of communication, self-expression, group interaction, diagnosis and conflict resolution. Research indicates art therapy can improve communication and concentration and can help overcome feeling of isolation. When humans are not able to convey their emotions and feelings verbally, they can communicate their sentiments on any subject through creative work rather than speech. It’s the conversation between an easel and humans, regulated with emotion. For example, we can have different colours as a basis for expressing our emotions. Purple as a signal for expressing trouble, brown for sadness, black for being angry and red for being egocentric. By splashing paint on canvas using signal colours we can easily express our emotions and feelings.
The preeminent part of practising art therapy is that one doesn’t need to be the pundit in or know the thing about art. The approach has proven to be beneficial for professional and non-professional artists. Any type of previous training, skills, or expertise in the field of creating art is not required. Specifically, there are shreds of evidence that engagement with artistic activities can enhance one’s moods, emotions and other psychological states, by either being an observer of the creative efforts of others or an artist behind a painting conveying deep messages and emotions. An astounding transformation is noted in humans going through art therapy. When one engages himself artistically and use his imagination, they can regulate their blood pressure and heart rate. Art is like a helping hand that can help easily get rid of painful experiences which one finds difficult to discuss or talk about. Art can easily change a person’s outlook and experiences regarding life. The integration of arts into spiritual care offers healing for the spirit. The arts enable patients to build a sense of congruence and the joy of being a creator.
In this time of an unusual wake-up call received from a pandemic, we Indians are suffering very painfully. Some after catching the virus, while others from fear of catching it. From the fear of being lonely, fear of staying locked up in our home, fear of losing jobs and fear of our life. Like never before, Life now seems reduced and threatened, but art can act as a Saviour, rescuing us from our severe fears. By engaging our flexible fingers and mind in creating art we can overcome our stress, anxiety and fear of being lonely. It can promote relaxation and bring about a feeling of peace in all of us who are hospitalized or homebound due to illness. Our artistic work in this hard time can be the epitome of our courage and bravery, which will serve as a memory and motivation for years to come. So, it’s an adequate time for us to get a little engaged with art and artists.
