Which Art Media to use and how ?
Visual Arts
What people most commonly think of when they hear "art therapy" is the visual arts. They are the art media generally used most often and they offer very rich explorations.
It is possible to use classical art material such as crayons, pastels, painting, brushes, etc.) or to be more inventive (sliced potatoes to make paint marks instead of traditional brushes, beeroot juice, finger paint, etc.). It is possible to create objects meant to last (collages, paintings) 3D more temporary creations. Visual arts can be used on their own or combined with other art media such as puppetry, music, writing, etc. |
Sandplay (Miniatures in Sandtrays)
Sandplay is not currently very well known in France and yet very efficient and effective. The technique lends itself to unusually powerful explorations.
Shared between 3D visual arts creations and drama, this tool enables eloquent scenes based on interactions between small objects having a symbolic value for the client. The result often takes by surprise and impresses with unusual clarity. It is a language made of symbols which helps clients see clearly, explore options, relieve impulses and express the self through play and evolutive narratives. CAUTION on SANDPLAY
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Free Writing / Poetry
Used on its own or combined with other art media, Free Writing offers limitless expressive possibilities. Using words with no grammatical or spelling pressure can be extremely liberating in itself.
Whether one picks words, expressions or sentences from a box or whether one puts pen on paper, the writing process often brings relief, clarity, opening or closure depending on what is needed, containment, escape, and much more... |
Puppetry, Masks, Drama, Dance, Free movements...
Puppets and masks enable participants to be both acting and spectating which opens interesting experiment possibilities. Expressive arts such as drama, clowning, dance and movement facilitate fluid ephemeral possibilities to express oneself. These art media may be felt as more exposing - but "bigger risk, bigger gain". They can bring many benefits such as exploring and rehearsing possible solutions... |
How can the use of the Arts enrich one's exploration ?
Inner blocks may be neutralised by the indirect ways in which the artistic expression works.
The arts can therefore help clients to overcome their fears and to lower their defences, giving more space to the brain's right hemisphere functions (creativity, intuition, instinct) rather than the often more impactful left hemisphere (rational thinking, logical approaches, linear organisation of thoughts, etc.). |