“It is in playing and only in playing that the individual child or adult is able to be creative and to use the whole personality, and it is only in being creative that the individual discovers the self.” - D. W. Winnicott
As children we are naturally drawn to play and be creative- it is how we learn to understand and take in the world, it is how we discover our place. Growing up we often forget to play and be creative. Life, responsibility, and the ‘shoulds’ of adulthood get in the way.
In art psychotherapy, clients are invited to engage with the art materials as a way to reconnect with their creative, playful side. The blank page and materials can seem scary, holding endless possibilities, representing the pressure to ‘draw something good’ or to visually illustrate how things feel. However, once the first mark is made some of those challenges subside (like taking those initial steps towards recovery or learning a new skill). Art Therapy is a space for mess making, moving away from thinking and into experiencing.
It actively challenges the critical voice (I often hear “I don’t know how good this will be”) offering some distance and perspective. For some it is easier to talk about the image and the process. The image holds the emotions, the scenario and can offer insight where words are limited. The image invites the therapist/observer to share her curiosity about the image and a conversation starts. The therapist may ask questions (usually open-ended questions) about the process, the subject matter, the feelings involved in the making. This allows a space of exploration for the client whereby the client can gain perspective and insight. The artwork becomes a relational object through which the client and therapist learn to relate.
Other clients explore the purpose of their negative behaviours and addictions; creatively exploring their purpose, their role, their development and what needs to change developing positive coping strategies in the process. Need to be in control? Struggle with mess? The artmaking process is a microcosm of these, contained within the white page.
Others may need an emotional and physical release and thus are invited to scribble, make mess, explore, and play with the materials. Here, not only is there a shift in energy, but there is also a moment of connection with the body, a sense of being. The energy shifts and creates space for processing and understanding, helping with emotional regulation.
Art making allows us to step out of thinking and step into experiencing.
