Art and Healing
My art and healing path started several years ago. As part of my mom-sanity program, I had been taking an art class at our local art school, Ringling College of Art and Design. I promised myself I would take one art class in the spring and one in the fall. Mainly to keep my sanity, but also to feed my creative spirit.
The first year I had taken a class, I discovered that the college offered a certificate program in Art and Healing. I thought it would be great to add healing to my art quilts, so I signed up. I had to wait til the fall to start the program and was really excited about it. And boy, was I in for a surprise.
My thoughts were, that it was a theory class. I couldn’t have been more wrong. I was told it was an expressive arts class. But since I didn’t know what expressive art was, that didn’t help at all.
At the first class we did a short meditation on why we were taking the class. We were instructed to notice any images that appeared. And for some strange reason, the image above flashed in my mind. Oh, and a bird.
Well, I had know idea what that meant, but I quickly sketched it out. Then we did something absolutely amazing. (which changed my life, by the way). The instructors asked us to turn the art over and finish the sentence “I am…” like I was the art speaking.
Ok, I thought, this should be interesting. So I started, ” I am…… strength and freedom. I give you courage to embrace health and the freedom to find it. I support you on your journey and encourage you to find your own path. You have all the power.” WTF?
Where did that come from? And how come it came pouring out. And it hit me like a bolt of lightning. Art and Healing wasn’t about adding healing to art (though I believe it absolutely can) It was about healing me and the people I touch.
And it has. Apparently, humans have authentic, internal images that stay relatively hidden for most of us. And if we are willing to take a few moments to connect to this inner wealth-spring of information, we can transform our lives.
Art and healing uses the power of art to heal the human spirit. Won’t you join me on this journey? How has art had a healing effect on your life?
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{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
I love how you began the journey to the path you now walk! I think it is so amazing how we can start with a little thread, a little thought, or a little action (like taking an art class) to ending up with having an unknown passion and purpose revealed to us! I wish you the best as you pursue your expressive arts path!
The universe certainly moves in mysterious ways. I think our ‘passions’ lie just under the surface. And if we trust our intuition, we can discover them much more quickly.
Twitter: erenmckay
April 28, 2010 at 9:10 am
Hi Debbie,
What you wrote describes precisely what I feel in relation to my blog. Sometimes I spend lots and lots of hours just to decorate one post. The reason I do that is because I love to convey the feeling of peace through the images. Art is truly a way to heal.
Thank you for telling us your “light bulb moment”.
All the best,
Eren
.-= Eren Mckay´s last blog ..Inspirational Parenting Quotes – How I See My Calling =-.
Hi Eren,
You do a great job. The ‘love’ you have for your blog and your readers is apparent. Thanks for being a bright spot in my day! Debbie
Twitter: ImAHotMom
April 28, 2010 at 5:49 pm
Debbie, the message on your post is very powerful. If people will just be willing to take the time to connect with their inner selves, they would find the answers to all their questions. I’m on a journey myself, in relation to connecting with my higher/inner self through meditation. Whenever I’m able to, there’s just no words to express how powerful, yet calming and peaceful the experience is. The love is just overwhelming. I’ve been in constant search for direction. For some reason, I got into blogging and I find writing somehow not only an outlet for expression but also therapeutic for me.
.-= Young And Fabulous´s last blog ..Four Common Habits Of The Young And Fabulous =-.
Cherrie, I’ve been meditating for a couple of years. The past year I’ve been using binaural beats. I know what you mean about the experience. Writing is one of the modalities of expressive arts. So it’s perfectly understandable how therapeutic it is. Julia Cameron (the author of The Artist’s Way) recommends ‘morning pages’. Three hand written pages every morning using ‘stream of consciousness’ writing. I think blogging is similar to that.
I’m not a very visual art person – I like to view art, of course, but it’s not something that comes naturally for me. However, music, is an art that is always with me and often heals me. I need music when I’m stressed, thinking, calm…just about any time. Music helps soothe me.
.-= Melanie (ModernMami)´s last blog ..Attending your First Sponsored Blogger Event? Some Dos and Don’ts to Remember =-.
Music is definitely one of the expressive arts. I find people gravitate to the one that feels the best for them. For years I never called myself ‘creative’. But once I started to, it’s amazing how much more creative I became. I was very resistant to using movement to express myself. Now I love it!
I really believe that each and every person is an artist. Not all of, though, know that we have it all along. Art for me is a great outlet to express myself – my true self. Helps me a lot.