“Art gives you the freedom
to express yourself as you wish.” 

(Warren: Nadeau 2008). 

 

 

WHAT IS ART THERAPY?

 

 

In order to answer the question what

 

is Art Therapy? We must first look at

 

our perceptions of the process of art

 

making.

 

 

 

Often people believe that the process

 

of art making consists of a set of

 

strict guidelines that if followed

 

accurately will result in a visually

 

appealing art object.

 

 

 

Creating a visually appealing art

 

object can be a pretty scary concept

 

especially for individuals who have a

 

hard time as recognising themselves

 

as being creative.

 

 

 

The most important thing to

 

understand about Art Therapy is that

 

Art Therapy is not an Art Class and

 

that the Art Therapist will steer away

 

from any form of artistic direction as

 

it really does not matter what the

 

final art object looks like.

 

 

 

The aim of the art making process in

 

Art Therapy is to generate a level of

 

self-expression that is playful,

 

spontaneous and most of all

 

enjoyable.

 

 

 

The Art Therapist believes that the

 

playful,spontaneous and enjoyable art

 

making process enables the

 

participant to express their inner

 

thoughts and feelings in a safe

 

manner that is free from the

 

limitations of their verbal vocabulary.

 

 

 

The art making process in Art

 

Therapy enables the participant to

 

explore and rediscover their feelings

 

and thoughts around their personal

 

experiences and beliefs which

 

increases the participant’s sense of

 

self.  

 

 

 

Once the art making process has

 

come to an end the Art Therapist

 

supports the participant towards

 

discussing their art making.

 

 

 

This discussion process within Art

 

therapy enables the individual to

 

differentiate between their own needs

 

and desires and the needs and desires

 

of the other group members.

 

 

 

Through the process that exists

 

within ArtTherapy the participant can

 

develop the ability to recognise their

 

inner strengths and weaknesses and

 

how they relate to the outside world.

 

 

 

 

This newly discovered sense of self

 

enables the participant to take

 

ownership over and responsibility

 

towards planning for a future based

 

on their own true sense of self-worth.