Art Therapy

[RobinN]

A Pleasant Grove girl has won a national competition aimed at encouraging people with epilepsy to express themselves through art.

http://www.sltrib.com/ci_7439436?source=rss
(they messed up the article but you get the gist of it within the first few paragraphs.

Being an artist I want to suggest that art can be very good therapy. I think it slows you down and makes you appreciate what is around you. We tend to move through life in a crazy frenzy sometimes and to be able to focus on what is important in life is very important.

I personally have been creative my whole life, but I never viewed it as a method of healing for myself until the past year or so. I knew there were art therapists, but I was in the design world and had little time for that.

After meeting a wonderful man, Danny Gregory, I realized how my art could make every day matter.
This man has an incredible story, I will link you to.
Living in NY with his wife, she was standing on a train platform, and a crazy person pushed her onto the tracks. She lived to tell the story, but is paralyzed. He has made his life matter by writing two books and has created a phenomena in the world by seeing people follow his example of drawing every day, everyday items, and not being hung up by every day constraints.
Check it out... it is inspiring. At least it is for me.
I was lucky enough to sketch with him here in L.A., and he is one of the most gracious, grateful men you could meet.

http://dannygregory.com/

Sketchbooks make a great gratitude journals.

[speber]

Robin, I have a distant friend (Australia) who I'm trying to contact who I believe IS an art therapist. I'm hoping to find some good stuff on the subject there as well!

[RobinN]

http://www.webmd.com/news/20010611/m...tic-expression

For the artist -- even for someone not trained in art -- finding expression in the visual arts can bring healing, says Vick. In fact, in many healthcare settings, art has found a place as therapy. Migraine sufferers are among those gaining some measure of relief through artistic expression.

"The essence of art therapy is to engage the patient in learning something about himself, to explore the making of the art product as well as the art process -- to find understanding of themselves in their work," Vick tells WebMD.

The therapy often lies in the very process of making art, he says. "The physical involvement and activity, the engagement of head and hands together -- it is productive, freeing, illuminating." Therapy, too, "can come from looking at form and color, thinking through the narrative or story of the work."

[speber]

I'm very much into sculture and crafting things with mixed media (in my infinite spare time of course).

It is VERY relaxing and hard to put down once I start!

[alivenwell]

I have always found art to be a great outlet. There's a great book called 'Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain' that might interest you.
My art always depends upon my mood. I've given presentations with multiple colors simply because I find it keeps an audience's attention. I had a great math teacher in high school who used this technique and she controlled a rowdy bunch of students.
My favorite forms include pencil sketching, drawing live animals, oil pastels and when I'm out and about, crayons or colored pencils. I keep a pack in my purse, believe it not!
Drawing was one method my parents used to keep me quiet. It worked! I was really active as a kid otherwise.