Pablo Picasso had notably observed and exclaimed that “Art washes away from the soul, the dust of everyday life”.
The statement in simple terms explains how art therapy rid persons of every horrid emotional upheaval through artistic processes. Art has moved beyond the realm of paintings hanging on the wall to a form of effective treatment.
The following are the various activities that an individual may carry out in the process and sessions of art therapy:
- Draw or paint your emotions: Observing that the focus is not on expertise, art therapy requires the patient to use different colors on a canvas to represent their emotions.
- Use color to create an emotional wheel: Alternatively, the patient may be given all colors and required to create an emotional wheel. Usually, the patient uses the colors that represent the intensity of their emotions in order of how intense they currently are.
- Use line art to demonstrate how you are feeling:
Line art gives the therapist an idea of the patient’s feelings. Sometimes, the patient may draw a straight line, curvy line, or a zigzag to show how their emotions are all over the place.
- Attach a drawing or message to a balloon: This is a psychological process leading to the patient letting go of their most intense feelings.
- Paint to music: This activity solely focuses on the concentration and attention span of the patient.
- Finger paint: Often, this activity is considered child play. However, adults in therapy sessions are often required to be carefree and mess their fingers up to paint.
- Make a Mandala: In art therapy, the patient uses sand or any choice meditative tool to loosen up by making a mandala.
- Draw in the dark: The goal is to get the patient to make a representation of how they feel and not to necessarily make a perfect creative artwork. The patient may then be required to paint in the dark to shift their attention away from perfection.
Other activities in art therapy sessions involve using color blocks, drawing something huge, and a host of other therapeutic activities to achieve stated therapy objectives.