Existential and Expressive Arts Therapy Essay

My experiences at LandWorks were enriching; it empowered me to question how art therapy allows emotions to be vocalised through art, the importance of artistic and therapeutic techniques, and the significance to implement art therapy into everyday life; allowing one to find one’s self. I wanted to investigate how each prisoner copes with showing emotion, the importance of time and how their use of their time has changed. Also, what the prisoners learnt throughout their journey, and what helps to motivate the prisoners to undertake a more positive outlook. Does art facilitate the viewer to have an experience? Does it explores the viewer’s perceptual capabilities, so they can develop their own meaning behind the work? Dewey (2005:36) discusses the experiences felt by viewers,

The person can look at the art in see the meaning, confusion and sludge they are going through. In the study she focuses on is over a six week period with a hospitalized girl who had been sexually abused. This child had been having problems with aggression. A approved by her art therapy was something the children would look forward to and run into the room with excitement.

Roger’s traditional person-centered therapy is perhaps the greatest example of “talk therapy” as there is not any homework, specific techniques, or behavior to be changed. Instead, the success of the therapy lies in the process and letting clients experience this process as fully as possible. Therefore, it may be surprising that Natalie Roger’s person-centered expressive arts therapy has shifted away from traditional verbal means of expression to more creative means. According to Sommers-Flanagan, through mediums such as movement, drawing, painting, music, writing and improvisation “clients peel away the layers of defense and find their true nature” (2007). Expressive art therapy is not concerned with the end product (client’s do not create a piece to hang on the wall) but rather the process of using art to delve into a client’s pain, rage, or grief is the goal. Therefore, just as in Roger’s person-centered therapy the process is the focal point but the mediums used are quite different. Through these mediums clients find other ways to go inward, other ways to speak. Like her father’s person-centered therapy, Natalie Roger’s expressive arts therapy is nondirective and lets client’s lead the process and trusts them to find the modalities they can learn from (Sommers-Flanagan, 2007).

Art is very versatile and comes in many forms. Many people argue that artists do not need empathy and knowledge to create great art, but how can artists make great and meaningful art without experiences and understanding the art itself? To create art that people will appreciate, empathy and knowledge are essential in the creation of meaningful art.

School Behaviour and Status: Mary is attending Malvern Collegiate, completing grade 9 courses. Mary appears focused on completing grade nine, academically she has returned to above average. Mary’s teachers have praised her improvement in her academics and behaviour.

ART THERAPY: Michael Edwards was an art therapist, and analytical psychologist among other. “He was also the first Emeritus Professor of Art Therapy at Concordia University in Montreal, Canada.” (Wikipedia, 2014) Edwards and other artist lived together at Withymead and “based on Jungian ideas and belief in the healing power of the visual and expressive arts….As a Jungian teacher and practitioner.” (Wikipedia, 2014) Edwards influenced the field of art therapy internationally. Since I have traveled extensive, my burning question will evolve around understanding the exposure that executive have. Edwards proposed that independent expression amplifies when individual’s use imagination dialogue, which enhance patient and therapist understanding.

Sharing one’s most private thoughts through art is an impressive performance a person can do. Even the person who is trying to help other people fulfill their desire can never be satisfied on their own

Thus, the importance of providing alternative non-verbal methods to communicate is critical (Stewart, 2004). Eleonora’s plan is targeted to bring attention and awareness to herself and feelings of agitation and irritation. By providing the therapeutic goal of finding pleasure in artmaking to reduce these feelings of frustration and isolation, she can begin to feel empowered by her enjoyment. Not only will art-making build and exercise her dexterity it will empower her as an individual who is capable of creating again. Art therapy allows people the opportunity to grow and evolve (Charron, 2001). These creations will be able to serve as a reminder and a comfort that will bring her pleasure. Additionally, these works of art can be given to her children to assure her legacy will never be forgotten and she can be eternally in

Existentialism is highly regarded when it comes to artists and artwork. Sartre is a well-known prominent advocate in the post war period. Sartre wrote essays about artists work which helped viewers translate philosophy into visual art and by doing this viewers are able to understand the reasons behind the artwork and along with the understanding comes a deeper appreciation for the art. If man is unexplainable it is because we make ourselves so if he is “indefinable it is because at first he is nothing” (Sartre) he must create who he will be.( www.theartstory.org) Sartre spoke these words to the artwork of the post war period. Jean Dubuffet and Wols art work is able to address the coexistence of mind and body on which humans need. Ponty believes that art does not have to be perfect and symmetrical its science does not have to be exact as long as it captures the eye of the observers than it has done its job correctly. Existentialism in art is for the artist to be completely free with every stroke of the hand. The art of the artist is dependent on the time and place in which the artist is born. Following the first and second World Wars, the decades of fighting and relentless political turmoil it comes as no surprise that a philosophy that invokes man, the individual’s existence at its core had such an extensive following. This is why existentialist art flourishes after times of war because people want to express their feeling of freedom and the importance of the individual.

Engagement with art activities, either as the observer of the creative efforts of others or as an initiator of their own creative efforts, can enhance moods, emotions, and other psychological states as well as a salient impact on important physiological parameters. Health is defined as a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being rather than the absence of disease or infirmity. The article compares art, healing, and health as one. Chronic diseases are a burden, with cardiovascular disease being the leading cause of death and the incidence of diabetes continuing to increase. These diseases are associated with psychosocial difficulties like depression and chronic stress, contributing to negative cardiovascular outcomes. Engagement

What are the expressive arts? Well, they’re a creative outlet to tap into the unconscious mind. It’s a way to creatively express your emotions consciously. They’re many types of expressive such as: music, painting, photography, dance, etc. The arts can affect you in many ways such as the way you feel or how you interpret things. The explanation on all the uses of the different arts are endless. Not only that, but there are some struggles with the expressive arts. It’s difficult to get people to open up to them since most people aren’t all confident in there abilities

Chapter six explains two kinds of approaches to art making which are direct and non-direct. The direct approach is when the therapist specifically explains to the individual what he or should draw with specific directions. Whereas, non-direct approach has no specific subject, it is based on what you desire to draw in no particular way. These two approaches help the therapist on how to work with their clients depending on their situations. Therefore, these approaches as the book defines them are also known as free art, or free art expression referring to no theme given. Spontaneous drawing provides the clients with the opportunity to express their thoughts and feelings in safe ways. Consequently the client chooses the content of the drawing

Socially-engaged art is analogous to art therapy in many ways. Although Pablo is not an art therapist, he presented art therapeutic factors in his and other artists’ socially-engaged art practice. It is commonly considered that the most essential part of art is appreciation and the artistic value of the work. Public focus on its outcome. The process of an artwork or the intention of an artist would be an incidental, which is merely an interesting behind story. On the contrary to this, the process of artwork is crucial in socially-engaged art. Art has a potential to create a social relationship; socially-engaged art influence people psychologically through the artistic collaboration. The emphasis on the process of socially-engaged art parallels in art therapy. Art therapy also stresses the process and pursues the psychological growth gained by the artistic activity.

In the mid 1900’s Viktor Frankl emerged after several years in the Auschwitz Nazi Death Camp as one of the founders of Existential Therapy. He was the developer of logotherapy: “therapy through meaning”. (Book cite here) Drawing on his experiences prior to and surviving the death camp, he worked with clients to help make the best of their lives no matter the circumstance. In his

Art has been used since the beginning of human history as an instrument for communicating feelings, thoughts and ideas (Vick, 2003). The oldest cave painting was found in the El Castillo Cave in Cantabria, Spain and dates back 40,000 years to the Aurignacian period (art therapy citation). Art has become a tool individuals use for self-expression and symbolism. While art has been around for thousands of years, it was not until the 1940’s where art was developed into a therapeutic tool (Vick, 2003).