Essay: Art as a Medium for Expression

Art is a good medium for expression as it is a none verbal exercise, which means the inner most thoughts, may be expressed in a way understood by the maker without revealing everything that may be uncomfortable in the way that verbal communication does. Just the act of making the art can be all absorbing and very therapeutic. By making art about ones thoughts and feelings one is creating an object that has a physical presence and a separation occurs from the maker of the thoughts and feelings being expressed and externalized into an entity of its own.

Memories can be created and kept in a sketch book for may years but looking back on them will create a sense of a journey and progression from these initial thoughts and feelings. Making marks on paper or canvas and using the paint in various different ways can be seen as expressive even if the art work has no narrative but is just a painterly exercise. It can be organic watching the paint freely move on the canvas and mixing colours.

Expressing things in a visual way is not always the familiar method to express for most adults but they, with persistence can create their own visual language. It can be interpreted differently by others and there is a sense of keeping ones privacy about the intention of the art making, unlike with language which we are quite adept with, it still is more direct and intrusive than mark making. In a therapy setting the creation of artwork can open up discussion about things that may be hidden or manipulated if language was the only conduit for therapy.

There is a sense of freedom when making art. Nothing is wrong, nothing is right.

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Essay: How Mental Health and Wellbeing is Seen in the Present Day

Differing approaches to psychology and the Human Givens approach:

Mental health and well-being is seen as something that can be worked on and improved by the individual in the present day and that we all have mental health that needs to be cared for. me owww logo2Prior to this patients were shunned and locked up away from communities with abhorrent treatment “experiments” carried out on them. Thankfully the sanatoriums have been shut and people integrated back into the community successfully.

I myself was diagnosed with paranoid psychosis in 2000 and have been hospitalized twice for this condition. I have also been on medication continuously since 2000. The experience I have of being in hospital on the first occasion was very positive. I did a lot of therapeutic activities whilst a patient in that hospital such as yoga, tai chi, drama, relaxation and this all helped me immensely to recover and shape my life beyond hospital. It gave ideas for coping strategies that I could carry forward in my life. I also did my first drawing as an adult in that hospital and I bought paints and art materials and carried this hobby on throughout my life until I got my degree in fine art about ten years later. The feeling of making marks and producing something that didn’t exist before hand I really found very positive. The second experience at a different hospital was completely different. There were limited activities to keep patients occupied and the whole experience was more negative. I have found more acceptance of being a sufferer of a mental health condition and am surprised at how many people also suffer from mental health problems that I meet. Being more open about the condition has happened over time as others have become more open and there is less stigma surrounding the issues.

The most useful perspectives in my opinion, which I as a patient would most find useful, are the humanistic approach and the cognitive approach. The humanistic as it considers the person as a whole and takes into account their needs wants and aims and does not just see the condition or a disorder.

The cognitive approach which considers thought patterns and how they affect the sufferer can also be useful to a counselor or therapist as ways of providing positive information to the client on how to see things differently in order to cope with a given situation or problem. Often people are stuck in a rut of thought patterns and these negative thoughts become self fulfilling prophecies. Being able to have therapy to change these thought patterns is a very positive thing and preferable to life long medication stuck in the rut getting no enjoyment or fulfillment from life.

The human givens approach appears to be the most complete approach building upon the knowledge from all the other perspectives combined. Some of the givens that we need to live are achieved subconsciously such as breathing but the rest do have to be worked upon and can easily be disrupted by a mental health “episode”. For example some one suffering a psychotic episode may not be able to prepare nutritious food for themselves, or may not be able to get sufficient sleep needed. This causes them to not be able to satisfy their emotional needs. For example Emotional needs that may suffer in this instance are the breakdown of an intimate relationship, and sense of control and the ability to make choices. In fact most of the emotional needs cannot be met when a person is acutely unwell and most even have to be worked upon with intensive therapy and help in recovery. Also, the resources that the human givens approach states we have been given from birth that we can ordinarily utilize through our daily lives are seriously hindered by being during an acute psychotic episode but with treatment, therapy and persistence return to the individual upon recovery. The human givens approach does consider all aspects of a human beings emotional and social needs and also recognizes the tools they have to achieve the physical and emotional needs.

Art as a Means of Recovery

In pursuit of well being and returning to normal, recovery is an accepted word that get’s used to determine how well someone might be doing on their journey of rehabilitation, but what of a person who might have been given the diagnosis of a life long condition? They may feel they have been handed a life sentence and at one time this might have been the case but today, with a more widely accepted holistic approach, we can begin to understand our journey of rehabilitation as an ongoing process. Learning to live with disability is much easier now than before.

Conventionally, a recovery may incorporate the use of services such as psychiatric therapy, drugs and medication, day care or hospitalization, counselling services such as nurses and occupational therapists,  drugs such as lithium or electroconvulsive therapy, in order to lead rewarding lives.

However more recent studies have shown the use of art in therapy as a means to recovery to be equally as important. The various branches of creative activity, such as painting, music, literature, and dance serve as a conduit for expression of those parts of the self which may not have been expressed in any other way.

Art can be used as a powerful healing tool to explore deep emotions – the sorrows, the struggles, and joys.  It has the ability to transform us by awakening parts of ourselves to recover and heal from earlier traumatic memories.  Through artwork, people can develop their own personal vocabularies for a fuller identity.

Persons who are creating with the arts have things in common to talk about; they can meet over a cup of coffee, critique each other’s work, discuss reviews of professional artists and writers, and attend performances together.  The inspiration that can be derived from other people’s performances and works can lead to the development of their own art. For example, performances by local musicians who are sensitive and expressive may serve as inspiration for their own song or poem.

Networking between artists has led to the formation of consumer arts organizations and programs, including creative arts drop-in centers.  These programs offer opportunities for artists’ work to be showcased and sold, which provides some artists with extra income.  Such organizations attract artists working in a variety of media, including photography, painting, crafts, poetry and performance art.  Some cities have theater groups that meet regularly under the guidance of a professional teacher who, with a group of consumers, develop skits that are both informative and hilariously funny.  The material is designed for presentation to a wide audience to provoke thought and understanding and to reduce stigma.

Art and creativity can be used by anyone – that is what is so exciting.  It does not require being taught or require a therapist to help one be creative.  Some may want to be observers or dabble in a “fun” experience. Art for some may be writing a journal, creating a garden, or making a recipe.  Others may take photographs of something that is particularly inspiring to them, or draw cartoons.  Some artists may want to perfect their art – to “plumb the depths” so to speak – which takes practice and “doing.”  There is a place for everyone.

Here are some of the ways to get started: * Have a private place and time to work. * Write or draw in a journal. * Set up a time to write each day. * Got to cafes and write and draw. * Get tickets to performances. * Set up a talent show or “open mike.” * Use the library as a resource. * Read favorite authors. * Go to art exhibits. * Go to a disco to dance.  Go early. Sharing of your art, whether poem, painting or song, can be used to create a new understanding of a culture.  Art shows can be developed around a theme such as recovery, with each person’s art being valued as an expression of their path.  What you have is a “tossed salad” or a “stew”. The result is not a standard prescription but a sharing:  interpretations of personal beliefs and experiences creating a message of recovery.