ROLE OF ART IN HEALING
Art has been used as a means of communication, self-expression, diagnosis, and conflict resolution from ages.Many cultures and religions around the world have included the use of carved idols and charms, as well as sacred paintings and symbols in the healing process. This process of healing was acknowledged in 1942 as “Art Therapy” by British artist Adrian Hill, who discovered the healthful benefits of painting and and drawing while recovering from tuberculosis. Margaret Naumburg, an educator and therapist, was also practising art as a distinct form of psychotherapy at the same time. She was actually one of the first people to experience psychoanalysis in the U.S., and she believed in the importance of uncovering the unconscious and was very much influenced by Freud. Art therapy is also known as expressive therapy, because art is used as a means of communication and let people explore and express their emotions and thoughts which they hesitate to express directly.Art Therapy provides individuals facing physical, emotional, and cognitive challenges with new pathways of self understanding and self-expression. This unique therapy uses the power of the arts to get people to open up and engage with their therapy in new ways, which may enhance healing of mental as well as spiritual difficulties.Through integrative methods, art therapy engages the mind, body, and spirit in ways that are distinct from verbal articulation. Kinesthetics, sensory, perceptual, and symbolic opportunities invite alternative modes of receptive and expressive communication, which can be very helpful to open up emotions that have been pushed back.The therapy forces to notice them and work on them.Due to its versatility, art therapy is perfect for people of every age group and one doesn’t need to be very creative or artistic to take up this therapy.The goal of art therapy is to utilize the creative process to help people explore self-expression, and in doing so, find new ways to gain personal insight and develop new skills.Visual and symbolic expression gives voice to experience and empowers individual, communal, and societal transformation.
