Art Heals: The Value of Art Therapy

For many, the value of art is dependent on the joy it brings the viewer. What, if any, is the value of art for the creator? There have been many discoveries that reveal the act of creating art is just as beneficial to the artist as it is to the viewer. In fact, using art to express oneself benefits the individual so much, it can be used as a therapy tool. 

Art therapy is a creative therapy technique that has proven the importance of creative expression. Creating art allows people to work through emotions that might be difficult to express otherwise. Art therapy can be used on people of all ages and backgrounds, and is found to play a significant role in understanding children with autism as well as helping to treat them (Smith). Art therapy is a wonderful tool that many people from varying demographics can benefit from. Curious to learn more, I interviewed Minda Glynn, a former art therapist turned education specialist. 

When asked to touch on her personal relationship with art, Glynn reveals her life long love of painting and drawing.  What began as painting on walls in her youth has shifted into taking painting classes at her local college as an adult. Glynn, as most creatives do, wishes she had more time for making art. 

Her progression into art therapy was a natural one, as she was drawn to psychology and studio arts in college, and chose to major in both. Once graduated and looking towards next steps, Glynn felt that art therapy made a lot of sense. She spent time working as an art therapist in a domestic violence shelter, where she used art therapy with mothers and children as young as three and four.  There was no specific medium Glynn used more than another, rather she carried a supply of materials that ranged from controlled to free form, depending on the client's preference. 

Glynn’s experience speaks for itself, which is why I was eager to ask her some specific questions regarding her time as an art therapist. Below, you will find a couple of the interview questions and responses that are definitely worth the read. 

Do you view art therapy as something everyone can benefit from?

“So many people can benefit from being able to express themselves and work through conflict in ways beyond words. The process of making art, in itself, is inherently a therapeutic one, as we gain access to and sublimate difficult feelings. In a therapeutic relationship, it can also be a means to express the “unspeakable.” Often it does lead to talking through problems, as well.”

How drastic of a change in behavior was there usually from start to finish of art therapy?

“As in any therapy, people can really learn and grow. For example, I watched one student find her voice and stand up for herself. I supported another as he revealed abuse. I helped another to develop a “maternal introject” and feel a sense of  social right-and-wrong. In big and small ways, clients experienced self-actualization through the process.” 

Are there certain colors used more often? If so, do these colors have a specific meaning? 

“Colors and images can have specific meanings to different people, but sometimes there is a sense of a shared meaning. Clients often used blue, sometimes covering a whole page. I thought that I and/or the therapy room might have had a calming presence.”

How do you engage with clients who are less comfortable with creating art?

“When clients are less comfortable with art, I would “align with their defenses.” In other words, I would suggest art that lets them feel guarded and in control. For example, some kids would make a word design. Others would literally draw a brick wall, showing visually how closed they felt.”

Has there been one art therapy experience that has particularly stuck out to you?

“There are a few. One child lost his mother to cancer and lived with his brother, in his young twenties, in NYC. The brother was often out and the child did not feel cared for. He was engaging in behavior that might be seen as anti-social. Harming animals, lighting fires, and expressing no sense of remorse when he was mean to others. Through the art, he began to express both his anger and his emotional hunger. For example, out of clay he made a monster with a huge mouth: both hungry /open wide, and dangerous/full of teeth. By accepting and “holding” all of his feelings, the art became a transitional object that he could return to, and this helped him to understand and accept. He started making different choices- He told me that when was going to hurt a pigeon, he remembered what we talked about and made a different choice.”

Hearing the positive impact Glynn was able to make on so many people speaks to not only her impressive ability to connect with others and aid them in their journey of self acceptance, but also to the importance of art therapy as another tool to help process difficult events and emotions. 

Written by Staff Contributor Avery Canavan

Cited Resources:

Smith, Colleen. “Neuroaesthetics: How Art Is Scientifically Proven to Help Brain Health.” Art and Object, 27 Feb. 2023, www.artandobject.com/articles/neuroaesthetics-how-art-scientifically-proven-help-brain-health#:~:text=An%20art%20break.-,%E2%80%9CArt%20can%20create%20new%20neuropathways%20in%20the%20brain%20because%20this,our%20brain%2C%E2%80%9D%20she%20added.