[LAUIL601] Secondary Research: TEDx Talks - An Insight Into Art Therapy with Cindy Harjatanaya

https://youtu.be/etanmN_9wU8

Video posted on 18th August 2020

• Adult colouring books are mistaken for art therapy. Colouring books are predrawn images that allow and invite people to colour by numbers with markers, crayons or colouring pencils. The goal of the colouring book is to provide a leisure activity and entertainment. It can be therapeutic and fun but it isn't for everyone. Why? People who are anxious do not like the structure. The rigidity of the lines. There are boundaries. Limited creativity. Comparable to sudoku or a crossword puzzle.
• Another misconception of art therapy is that a therapist can interpret a piece of artwork and that their personality and things they have been through can be seen immediately. That's not true or what art therapy is. Drawing one person does not indicate loneliness and using red doesn't indicate anger. 
• Art therapy is not psychology and it is two different distinct professions with a masters degree and training. Art therapists are not psychologists but work together and alongside them, with psychiatrists and other social workers.
• Another misconception is that art therapy is thought of as the same as art education; that going to art therapy is like going to art class. In art education you are taught to hone your artistic skills, how to make good composition, portraits, landscapes. In art therapy no previous art experience is needed to be involved in the therapy. What is important is how the client expresses themselves, makes sense of their art, and how they make connections between their art and inner life.
• The goal of art therapy is to give support to people with mental, emotional, social, and behavioural issues in their every day lives
• What is art therapy? Art therapy combines two big disciplines - art and therapy. Art and psychology. Psychotherapy uses verbal means as a way to communicate between the therapies and client. In art therapy, visual means are used for expression and communication. The creative process is used to look at the relationship between the client, therapist and artwork.
• How does art therapy work? Clients art asked to give their thoughts and feelings and make them into forms. How would we put our happiness, anger and fear into forms? What does it look like? Image making is an excellent tool when the words are hard to find, even more so when someone has experienced an unpleasant trauma. Or overwhelmed by grief, for example. When the kids cannot be expressed in words. Or when a child cannot talk about a parents' divorce or even understand divorce. How do we start to process and explain our feelings? If we struggle to do so, we can illustrate it in drawing or in painting. When someone needs to work through and release anger, not by hurting people or destroying materials, but through markmaking and strokes.
• Art therapy gives someone the complete freedom to talk about their story in their own way. If it's too scary to talk about, like an abuser, a bully, or a sickness they are fighting with, it can be illustrated in forms of monsters, animals, or objects that they can relate to and face.
• The use of metaphors and symbols helps to share their stories.
• Many people find relief that they can choose to stay quiet and channel their energies and feelings in a safe and productive manner.
• Expressing yourself is a release. When creating art it becomes tangible and psychical - you can see and touch your problem and you have the chance to contemplate, reflect and find coping strategies. Growth and healing comes from uncovering those coping skills. An example given is that self harm doesn't have to be a coping mechanism and self worth can be found in the creative process instead. I relate to this too. Being creative has decreased my self harm.
• A client's investment can be seen in art therapy by the way they put effort into the artwork, how they treat the art work.
• Art therapists do not interpret or judge. They oversee the creative process, give tools for expression, provide unconditional listening, guidance and a safe environment for reflection so that change can happen.
• Other members of the family are invited to the sessions - parents, siblings, children, partners - to work on the strains and pressures of the relationship and to reconnect again.
• Clients of art therapy can be anyone who needs it. 60% of children show they struggle with developmental, behavioural, and emotional issues. Many adolescents struggle with mental health, suicidal thoughts and self harming. Adults suffer with mental health issues and personality disorders. From the data, mental health concerns can happen to anyone at any age. 
• There is still a stigma that anyone involved with art, play or the creative process is of a young age. Art therapy can be done by anybody, toddler to elderly, with mental health or health concerns. Individually, in groups, or in couples. 
• Art therapy is just one of the available therapies out there. Method may be different but goal is the same - to have a more fulfilling life and good mental health. That the developmental, emotional, social milestones are being met and that we know how to cope with problems when they arise.
• Mentally good people can function positively at home, at work, at school, and in society.
• The concern is real for mental health and there are many communities, campaigns and organisations that prove people often neglect there mental health. There seems to be embarrassment surrounding seeing a doctor when we are mentally unwell which stops people accessing the help that they need.
• People accessing art therapy is not a sign of weakness or sickness but a sign of strength and survival. Human beings are brave, forgiving, and resilient. Everyone faces challenges every day but we all cope differently.
• "Visual image making is an important aspect of the human learning process" - Diane Waller
• Art making is not only for artistic people and definitely not only for children. Making creations is part of being human and art has been around since the Cavemen period.  

Reflection: I found the opening with adult colouring books very poignant and I resonated with it deeply. I could never get into the trend myself as a perfectionist and with my dwindling eyesight. I didn't want to "ruin" these pretty outlines and nothing about them really calmed me. I enjoyed colouring books as a child but I cannot use them now my retinas have detached. Self harm was an interesting point that was raised and I relate to that - how art therapy helped a client to realise their worth and that there are other coping strategies. How people treat their art work was another interesting point. My artwork has become my portfolio. Raw, authentic and genuine art created in my most vulnerable moments.