Other perceptive quotes he wrote include “The thing of course is to make yourself alive. Most people remain all of their lives in a stupor.” And “The object of art is not to make salable pictures. It is to save yourself.”

Very acute and deep and what does this mean and does it apply to today?

Being an artist, musician, writer, dancer, any of the expressive gifts are a visible reflection of deep thoughts, feelings, desires, beliefs and they are a gift.

Everyone, I believe, has something inside themselves that can be expressed through a healthy creative outlet. Your own personal treasure is to discover your creative gift and nurture it.

Making Art Helps Heal the Soul

So why take the time to tap into your inner creative person? The transformation effects are not entirely rational. However studies have shown that individuals take their obsession, grief, pain and hope and try to turn it into something. This ‘making’ may not result in a cure but it is ultimately healing.

The arts reduce stress. And the more in touch a person becomes through creative expression the more wholeness they experience. Strange as it may seem, it’s true.

This inspirational video, “Can Art Be Medicine” from the Foundation For Art & Healing, explores the topic of the arts and wholeness.

The arts have always had a place in cultures around the world and is an ‘unofficial’ form of medicine. Creative expression has an undeniable power and quite possibly can improve our health. Creative engagement brings us into the moment and puts us in touch with who we are, it helps us get unstuck and it helps us move forward. Art can bridge the gap between the conscious and the unconscious mind.

Incredibly, art therapy can help Dementia patients not only find an inner peace but can also stimulate locked away and forgotten memories. I remember better when I paint is a moving video that follows one story of an elderly man who when asked to draw Honolulu, drew a warship with “Destroyer” on its bow. He was drawing a very clear memory he had from his days serving our country. A memory that painting had unlocked. Other amazing stories and studies are also shown on this video below.

Live More Aware and Express Yourself!

So what is the point of being an artist or finding the artist within yourself? The point is to live – live more aware, express yourself, nurture your spirit through the things you make! Creativity and expression can be a powerful gift in your life.

The post “The Point of Being An Artist Is That You May Live…” appeared first on Art and Design Inspiration.

If so, you probably need therapy. Art therapy, that is.

Beat Stress

“Art therapy,” whether painting, drawing (even doodling!), mixed media, sculpting or even crocheting, works wonders for children and seniors but can be extremely beneficial to the average person as well.

Robert Reiner, Ph.D., a New York University psychologist, asserts that “The act of performing a craft is incompatible with worry, anger, obsession, and anxiety. Crafts make you concentrate and focus on the here and now and distract you from everyday pressures and problems. They’re stress-busters in the same way that meditation, deep breathing, visual imagery, and watching fish are.”

In other words, you can’t worry and craft at the same time.

Creative people often have a hard time turning their brain off and find things like meditation and deep breathing exasperating or even impossible. Rather than trying to “quiet your mind,” engage your mind in an artistic pursuit instead.

Get Un-stuck

The aforementioned combination of focus and distraction often leads to creative ideas that are completely unrelated to the task at hand. Experiencing writer’s block? Pick up your paint brush! When you are absorbed in the task of mixing your blues and reds to create the perfect shade of purple, you might just spontaneously come up with a solution to a problem that’s been irking you for weeks.

Relax

Here’s another expert, Harvard University’s Herbert Benson, M.D., who says that repetitive and rhythmic crafts such as knitting may even evoke what he calls the relaxation response—a feeling of bodily and mental calm that’s been scientifically proven to enhance health and reduce the risk of heart disease, anxiety, and depression. “You can induce the relaxation response through any type of repetition, whether it’s repeating a word, prayer, or action, such as knitting or sewing,” he notes. “The act of doing a task over and over again breaks the train of everyday thought, and that’s what releases stress.”

If you have a hard time justifying your creative hobby, just remember that it’s a part of your total wellness plan.

Getting Started

You don’t need your own pottery kiln or an entire studio to incorporate more creative expression into your life.

Treat yourself to an artist’s pad and a set of watercolor paints. Enroll in a class at your local craft store. Look for instructional videos on YouTube for something artistic you’ve always been interested in trying. Take your camera to a local attraction or destination you’ve never visited before. Ask a friend who knits or paints to teach you how.

The next time you’re feeling stressed, stuck or wound up, do something creative and see what happens. And why not enjoy that piece of chocolate or a glass of wine while you’re at it?

{quotes sourced from http://www.nancymonson.com/craft-to-heal}

About Our Guest Blogger
Tabitha Dumas is a self-proclaimed craftaholic as well as a writer, blogger and color & image consultant. Tabitha loves partnering with artistic people to provide bio rewrites as well as editing, copy writing services and creative consultations to help them move forward with their creative projects.

The post What Art Therapy Can Do For You – by Tabitha Dumas appeared first on Art and Design Inspiration.