HEALING THROUGH ART

Art can create a pathway to healing from a wide variety of diseases and disorders. Hospitals facilitate creative time for patients to serve as both an outlet and a distraction away from their health conditions.

For children, art therapy can act as a vehicle of communication when language skills are still in the developmental stages. Art Therapy has been in practice since 1942, when artist, Adrian Hill discovered the healing benefits of art while recovering from tuberculosis.

Children’s drawings are analyzed through the weight, length and consistency of lines. Color does not always play a major roll since limited color choices at any given moment may effect what a child uses. However, the consistent use of the same colors could be helpful in an analysis of a child’s drawing.

Here are three attributes to identify when analyzing a drawing.

• Anger could be indicated through large hands, arms or features

• Anxiety could be indicated through the use of birds, bad weather and closed or missing eyes

• Impulsivity could be indicated with asymmetrical limbs on a figure or larger figures

Consider using a form of creativity when stress is running high or when dealing with a compromised immune system. This includes parents and care takers since they exert large amounts of energy caring for others and are at risk of becoming depleted if they do not practice self-care.