All articles tagged with #art therapy
A study from King's College London found that visiting an art gallery can significantly reduce stress hormones and inflammatory markers, potentially lowering the risk of heart disease and boosting immune health, highlighting the health benefits of engaging with art and leisure activities.
'Sketch' is a heartfelt family film that explores grief and healing through the imaginative creations of a young girl, highlighting the power of art and family bonds in overcoming emotional pain, with a warm, nostalgic tone reminiscent of classic adventure movies.
Lisa Kirkbride, a Prior Lake artist diagnosed with a rare and inoperable brain tumor, is using her remaining days to raise awareness and funds for cancer research through her artwork and community efforts, demonstrating resilience and hope despite her prognosis.
Art is intrinsic to human evolution and offers numerous health benefits, including stress reduction, improved mood, and increased self-confidence. Creative self-expression, whether through drawing, painting, or other forms, activates reward pathways in the brain and is essential for mental and physical well-being. Art therapy, a regulated mental health profession, helps people manage trauma and emotional challenges by providing nonverbal ways to process and express feelings. Engaging in creative activities regularly can enhance overall well-being and resilience.
Participating in recreational art activities, such as creating art or attending arts events, has been found to significantly improve mental and physical well-being in older adults, according to a study published in Frontiers Public Health. The research suggests that engaging in art can promote happiness, relaxation, and connection to others, regardless of skill level. These findings may lead to the implementation of more art-based activities in care homes for older adults. Further research is needed to determine the optimal "art dose" for older adults to achieve positive well-being outcomes.
Katie Histing, a Reno girl diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer called Ewing's sarcoma, is using her platform to advocate for childhood cancer. Despite beating the cancer twice, it keeps coming back, leading Histing to undergo numerous rounds of chemotherapy, radiation, surgeries, and a stem cell transplant. Feeling the isolation of hospital life, she has turned to art therapy and created Katies Collective, a business that sells artwork to raise awareness and funds for childhood cancer. Histing emphasizes the importance of focusing on the present and spreading awareness about the prevalence of childhood cancer.
Residents of Be'eri, an Israeli community along the Gaza border that was attacked by Hamas, are using art therapy to cope with the trauma. Art therapist Lee Leventer is working with the children of Be'eri to help them express their feelings and start the healing process. The artwork created by the children tells their stories and provides a medium for them to communicate their experiences. Adults in the community are also using art to process their emotions. Art is seen as a language that allows survivors to express the unexplainable and serves as a tool for healing.
Ukrainian women who have lost their partners in the war against Russia are finding solace and healing through art therapy. The art project, called "Alive. True Stories of Love," aims to honor the memory of those who died while helping the women cope with their grief. The women, who form friendships bound by shared loss, express their sorrows on canvas with the guidance of local artists. Through painting, they find a way to feel alive and process their emotions, creating artworks that symbolize their love and connection with their deceased partners.
The emotional canvas exercise is a therapeutic strategy that helps individuals identify and express their emotions. Emotions are like colors that give richness and depth to our lives, and labeling them reduces the response of the amygdala and other limbic regions associated with more difficult and distressing states. The exercise involves painting a blank sheet with the colors that best fit each of your sensations, emotions, and feelings, exploring what you've created, naming each emotion, and using your favorite colors to visualize what you need to do to feel better. This exercise can be useful at any given time, but if you require specialized help, you shouldn't hesitate to ask for it.