Face with heart and tree - Art therapy video review

Art “Therapy”

Last updated: March 26th, 2019

Therapy doesn’t always mean sitting on a couch and talking. Many heal their mental and emotional difficulties through the arts. The documentary Art “Therapy” by Lynn-Ellin Zeigler focuses on this (sometimes unpremeditated) method of healing.

The film features commentary from students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), anxiety and depression, who have found artistic practices healing. The arts have helped them relax, allowed them to express ideas that otherwise would have remained within, and have made them feel that they’re not alone. Although, presumably, none of us would wish mental difficulties on anyone, the students say their problems have sometimes allowed them to create better art than they would have if they were always problem-free. Contrary to an idea endorsed by the philosopher Denis Diderot in his later work, specifically that actors must remain emotionally uninvolved in their performances if they want to perform well, a student who participates in theatre says that experiencing anxiety and depression has allowed her to better relate to the emotions of the characters she plays, which makes her a better actress.

For those looking for some scientific background, the film also offers preliminary information about how hindering chemical activity in the brain causes difficulties in the mind. It’s hypothesized that artistic activity plays a part in righting these imbalances. Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama, discussed in the film, created paintings with dot patterns  to fight disturbing visions and hallucinations, which likely came to her due to issues she experienced with her aggressive mother. While most of us will never experience mental difficulties to this extreme, we can benefit from letting our thoughts and emotions out through arts like painting, drawing, writing or singing.

Watch Art “Therapy” here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zuiDuNwre4

Read more about using the arts for healing purposes in PAINTING TO HEAL: An excerpt from Healing with the Arts and THE LIFE YOU SAVE MAY BE YOUR OWN: A story by Max Reif >>

[su_panel background=”#f2f2f2″ color=”#000000″ border=”0px none #ffffff” shadow=”0px 0px 0px #ffffff”]by Erica Roberts

image: EaglElla (Creative Commons BY-NC-ND—no changes)

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