Art as Therapy

[Annegirl]

Yes pets!!!

[Badmemories]

Hi all,

When I think of Art I am the kind of person who can't hardly draw a stick man.. I ran across this site for those of Us who just aren't artist! Enjoy!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/11/28/art-therapy-techniques_n_6219994.html
keep on keeping on! 

[zazu]

Even though I've been drawing since I could hold a crayon, I have no idea how to "express my feelings" though art. This is something that's mentioned a lot, but it's just puzzling how it's done.
Even other artists just shrug when asked, as if it's something so obvious, you just do it, no problem! Even Googled this question, but there was no clear answer.

Only when looking through old sketch books do I see patterns emerging that seem to have some private emotional meaning, though I did not see it at the time. For instance, there was one page of assorted scribbles all done at different times. One sketch was a field. Another was a girl running. Because I often write down words that pop into my head while sketching, I had also written the word "peligro"(Spanish for "danger") three times on the drawing. This was all done absent-mindedly, as practice. It wasn't until months later when looking at the page that I saw that all three things had combined to make a picture of a girl running through an empty field, with the words indicating danger trailing behind her like an echo. It was a bit eerie to see that.

But these things only happen by accident. If I were to announce "I shall now express my feelings with art!" I will guarantee that nothing of interest would emerge. It can't be that hard, can it?

[globetrotter]

Zazu:
If you google art therapy, there are many sites with prompts.

For myself, I have get the most out of exercises with photos and collage.

One of the first projects I did was with a cigar box that I lined with fur and made a card for each decade of my life that fit perfectly inside of the box. Each card had highlights of who I was at the time and experiences that I went through.
It was a lot of work, and I saw a lot of growth.
I sometimes incorporate writing with the art...I have a hard time getting in touch with my feelings at all...but expressing my SELF artistically - there is no wrong or right, sometimes the act of creating and the focus/escape that it provides, which can be almost meditative, that is the reward.

[Butterfly]

Good link - thanks.

Zazu, My 'art' doesnt start with the stated purpose 'now I'm going to express myself' because the *byproduct* of my art is an expression of myself. It's not until the drawing starts to take shape its meaning might become clear and sometimes not until DH asks about the drawing do I then understand a deeper meaning. And sometimes for me a bird is just a bird, nothing more. just because they're pretty.

The ideas in the article are good especially the doodle one.