Art is said to be the externalised map of our interior self. In other words, art can be used to help us translate our feelings from thoughts to physicality. A recent 2013 study ‘The Art Therapy and Happiness Project’ provided valuable insight into the power of Art Therapy and its connection to happiness.
While many people believe that Art Therapy generally mirrors your dysfunction, art therapists know that artistic creativity is in fact a force of health and well-being. While a person may initially be confronted with some negative or overwhelming feelings, art has the power to heal and make us happy.
A happy life or a meaningful life?
What’s the difference you ask? A happy life is a life filled with positive emotions and lacking in struggle and conflict, while obtaining your goals, wants or needs. A meaningful life is more realistic and results in productivity, self-expression and positive action, but at the cost of overcoming difficulties such as trauma, grief and loss. Art Therapy is an effective pathway to both a happy and meaningful life as it allows us to make meaning out of life’s inevitable challenges while promoting an overall happy life.
Want to start your journey to a happy and meaningful life?
Vlinder Expressive Arts Therapy is an empowering practice that harnesses your creative forces to remember, restore and energise. Whether you suffer from mental health problems or simply need to build confidence and resilience, everyone can benefit from the power of Art Therapy. Art Therapy is about flourishing in every season of life – powering through tough winters and flourishing when the sun begins to shine.
Creating art a practice that can support positivity and wellbeing, expand our awareness, open ourselves to kindness and self-compassion, and deepen our connection to both ourselves and others.
