Art as Therapy
ESCAPING THROUGH EXPRESSION
“... Sometimes I wonder how all those who do not write, compose or paint can manage to escape the madness, the melancholia, the panic fear which is inherent in the human condition.” —Graham Greene
The creation of art is often described as an escape, but the diversion is not always a lighthearted one. Ask some people why they create art and they won’t say “because I want to,” or “because I like to,” but “because I have to.” For many, art is not just a pleasant hobby or a talent with which they can make money, but rather a necessary way to release pain or even cope with life. It enables them to express and comprehend abstract feelings that ordinary methods of communication and reflection fail to grasp.
Creativity can profoundly reduce anxiety and depression, and has even been shown to help people heal from psychological trauma. It offers a unique and mysterious outlet for emotional distress. But what is it about the imagination that can soothe and even heal? As usual, opinions are not hard to find, but there seems to be agreement between everyone from medieval scholars to modern psychiatrists that solitude is an essential component of therapeutic art.
Temporary isolation from the burdens of reality can make it easier for us to find mental relief. Then, we can then find comfort in our own creation. —CKG
QUESTIONS TO PONDER
•How has creativity helped you find relief or clarity during hardship?
•Why does art comfort us in ways that nothing else can?