Yes, it does. Good art is often the result of heartbreak or loss. That being said, good art also comes from happiness and joy. There’s a stereotype about the starving, tortured artist, and what art should look like. You don’t have to be starving or tortured. Art mirrors where we’re at mentally and emotionally. An artist creates art to release the darkness and trauma. Nobody really wants to stay tortured.

The idea for this blog came from a quote I saw on Twitter about how a happy, well-adjusted person makes bad art. I would have to disagree. Yes, a musician will make completely different music after a breakup than a marriage. But who are we to judge which one is better? As long as it’s authentic and sounds good, somebody will be able to relate. And that’s why we make art, to express our feelings, meet others who understand, and be comforted by the fact that we aren’t alone.

Recently, I’ve been making “happy” art, and yes, it is a bit boring. Much different from the black and red messy paintings I made for many, many years. There’s a Rumi quote, “If all you can do is crawl, start crawling.” If all I can do is make dots, I’m gonna make dots. And as I loosen up, my artwork will loosen up. I will be able to make flowing lines and funny shapes. My artwork shouldn’t be dark and dreary anymore. Anyone who wants to stay sarcastic and apathetic because being inspirational isn’t cool, that’s your prerogative. Maybe one day you’ll wake up and realize time is slipping away. You’ll lose someone you love and realize forgiveness weighs less than a grudge.

I decided to share the flower mandalas that I made in Oct/Nov 2010. I talk about them in the book. I made these while I was bedridden leaking spinal fluid. These aren’t the black and red paintings, they were left in Boulder and Santa Fe. These are about my struggle to recover from cancer treatment, feeling hopeless and scared.

I’ve never shared these before, and they didn’t make it into the book. I’ve kept them safe in a tote because I knew one day I’d want to look at them again. There are also two butterflies, but I didn’t take pictures of them. These are good examples of art therapy, they are a visual diary of my feelings from a time when I was struggling to find hope.

I will post another blog soon and share more about my current life and future plans. All is well, I am busy and happy! 🙂

Have a good week,

Julie

p.s. I was just getting ready to post this blog when I heard that Prince died today. OMG! Rock God. Legend. Amazing music. Super talented. The doves are crying. RIP beautiful soul.

Imagine if Art and Psychology had a baby. You could name the baby, Art Therapy. Combining the two disciplines creates an exciting modality for healing and personal growth. You don’t have to be an artist or have any art experience. What’s important is that you’re able to be creative, playful, and spontaneous.

Art therapy is about expressing your feelings, emotions, hopes, wishes, and dreams. It isn’t about imitating Claude Monet or Vincent Van Gogh. Art therapy works best if you allow the magic to happen.

Art Therapy was developed in the 1940s by a woman named Margaret Naumburg. She and her sister Florence Cane started The Walden School for children. They practiced the belief that, “the emotional development of children, fostered through encouragement of spontaneous creative expression and self-motivated learning, should take precedence over the traditional intellectual approach to the teaching of a standardized curriculum.” (Frank, 1983)

“She was forever pointing out that art therapy, with its use of symbolic language and imagery, was often a more effective road to the unconscious than the usual verbal approach of psychoanalysis and dynamic psychotherapy.  She was influenced by Eastern thought and philosophy. The direction of her teachings focused on the growth of the child’s soul through play and self-discipline involved in painting.” (Frank, 1983)

There are two main types: art as therapy and art in therapy.

Art as therapy is used in open studios and group settings. Art making is seen as therapeutic because it relieves stress and builds confidence. The process is valued over the product, although the art is often good enough to sell. There’s something quite magical that happens when we allow the art work to come through us rather than forcing a preconceived image.

Art in therapy is done by the client as part of their therapy session. The therapist gives a directive based on what the client is struggling with so that they can go deeper into the healing process. The therapist helps the client find meaning by asking questions like,

“What does the image need?”

“If the image had a voice, what would it say?”

The client ultimately decides what the image is about and what it represents for them.

Both types of art therapy are wonderful and they often overlap. A group setting can get quite analytical while a private session can be more for relaxation. The main thing to remember is that art making accesses the unconscious, so there needs to be a safe container for what is created. We leave our judgment and criticism at the door.

Art making speaks the words we cannot say, so there is always the possibility that traumatic experiences or memories will reveal themselves in the art work. That is why it is important that the therapist is skilled in helping the client work through difficult emotions and releasing the negative energy.

References

• Cane Detre, K. , Frank, T., Refsnes Kniazzeh, C., Robinson, M. C., Rubin, J. A., and Ulman, E. (1983). Roots of Art Therapy: Margaret Naumburg (1890-1983) and Florence Cane (1882-1952) – A Family Portrait. American Journal of Art Therapy, , 113-116.