Articles helping you increase your creativity
Art Therapy is making art with a person who is educated about how art and your psyche relate. Working with a real Art Therapist (there is a master’s degree and nationally recognized credential for this field!) makes a difference. Because art making is so powerfully transformative, huge shifts can come very quickly. It is important to know how to contain big feelings as they come up. Some of us need containment and some of us are so numbed out and our feelings are so shut down that we need help to become MORE expressive. You might not be aware that some art materials could be triggering to those of us that are carrying scary memories.
Q. What art skills are necessary for art therapy?
A. The simple answer is none. Art therapy requires no artistic ability. The art therapist offers guidance and support and the opportunity to explore issues of concern using simple art materials. Art can be used to help you express your feelings in a safe way.
Q. If I don’t even know what I’m feeling, how can art help me?
A. Some art materials can give you more energy and some can calm you. A good Art Therapist will know what materials and interventions are appropriate for you as you work together.
Q. What kinds of results can I expect from Art Therapy?
A. With art therapy you might find dreams changing. You might become more aware of your surroundings during the day. You might find your relationship with yourself, with your past, and with the important people in your life, is changing. This is noteworthy: as you gain more control in your art you may find you gain more control in your life, too.
My personal philosophy about art making is this: I believe that we are made of the same creative stuff that created the universe. The energy of creation is in every molecule of us. Therefore, when you stimulate creativity in one area of your life (by making art, dancing, writing a poem, knitting, etc.) other parts of your creativity are also stimulated. When we do something creative we begin to heal in thousands of unseen ways because we are tapping into that original creative source from which we are made.
Susan Boyes, ATR-BC, LPC is a nationally registered and board-certified art therapist and licensed professional counselor in private practice in Ann Arbor, MI. In addition to making art herself, Susan has a mission to bring people back to their creative source for healing. “I have been studying the neuroscience of memory and of art, gaining an understanding of the biological connections between emotion and self expression. Harnessing these twin capabilities is what I bring to art therapy.” Susan also works with people that have experienced traumatic brain injury, assisting them to solve problems, make decisions, improve attention, stamina, and self-esteem through art making activities.
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