I was just curious as to whether anyone has used art as a form of therapy, and if you found it useful?

I have been reading about art as therapy and the whole subject is fasinating. Any thoughts would be very interesting

Clare

I have never "read" anything about art therapy, so I do not know what type of therapy you are talking about. BUT I can say that this gives my family and me a great topic of conversation --- some good old fashion competion, and the makings for a fun Saturday night. My kids love to see what we all come up with and love when they are part of an image. My sister and my husband and I enjoy watching each other "play" with images --- and laugh, laugh, laugh - with some of the things we come up with. Me personally enjoy the feeling of creating something from something else --- and enjoy watching others do the same. I know after a rough day at work I look forward to doing this. So if this is therapy --- give me more!

Thanks for the reply Jill,
It sounds like therapy and with a family theme. It also sounds like it brings you all togther as a family :)

I was however referening to working through a particular problem or past experience by using art as an expressive medium. It would be a bit like going to a psychiatrist but with out the person. In stead you have your self and a piece of blank paper/pixels and create something that comes from with in you, with the purpose of looking at the creation and making a perception from the work, the use of colour light etc.
i.e.
Jo Spence used photography as a creative medium to explore her feeling when she found she had cancer - there was some interesting images created.

I don't know whether I have explained this very well but its worth a shot.
Clare

I would say yes you have expressed yourself well. I know when I would draw in my teens I would spend HOURS - just to put myself in a different plain. I would draw for 8-10 hours doing pen and ink and pencil work. You comment "by using art as an expressive medium" - I am only speaking for myself but everything I do is expressing some type of feeling or emotion. When I did the Prison Gaurd it put me in a very dark place. I notice there are times I use bright colors -- then dark colors. -- then the times I go for straight humor. Everytime I do something I go to that plain and enjoy the time there --- it's a nice safe place. I did find the first few times I posted it felt very odd to me to let other people (other than family) join in a piece of who I am.

So I have taken so long to reply. thanks for sharing :)

I agree with you that when you create something and let it out, as it were, it is like releasing part of your self. I always experience a certain expectation that it will either be liked or understood. I remember finding critical apprasials at college very difficult as I oftern was not ready to let others see my images - they were either unfinished or I had not had enough private time with them. Some of the people that I studied with just would not get what I was trying to achieve - it was like banging your head against a brick wall most of the time and I oftern left the apprasal feeling more confused that I was on entering.

One of the things that I have been reading about with regard to art therapy is that some patients find this a difficult part of the theraputic process, that releasing the images to the therapist is hard and then to talk openly about there experience when creating the image and now that it is finished is challenging within its self.

Maybe we all as artists, are using our creations as part of a self therapy, almost like a self healing for past or present event. I certainly agree that when creating something dark my mood completely changes until the image is complete. I have recently been trying to create this emotional reaction round the other way. To gather my reaction or emotion towards a certain subject and then let all the emotion out onto either canvas or with photography. I realise that I have been doing this subcontiously for years but it is quite challenging to be totally aware of this process.

Clare