What is art therapy?
Art therapy is the integration of art-making into the psychotherapy process, allowing the art itself to be a representation of an individual’s struggles and strengths. Many times, art therapy is used to provide individuals with an outlet for self-expression for situations where words don’t seem to fit. Art can be the therapy itself or it can be integrated here and there, in smaller forms. Unlike art classes, art therapy does not seek to teach artistic skill; instead, it is meant to create a space for exploring a person’s inner world of images, feelings, and thoughts through materials.
But I already make art everyday…
For an art student, art therapy might seem like too much of good thing. When you’ve made art all day, the last thing you may want to do is bring that process into therapy. However, there are many benefits to thinking about your art as a therapeutic medium. For example, being able to create something that is not evaluated for a class but is instead a representation of your personal experience might be helpful. Also, integrating art therapy concepts into your personal work can allow you to explore how art can be used for both coping and expression. In these ways, art therapy can be a vehicle for considering your lifetime relationship to art and how it helps you learn more about yourself.