What is Expressive Arts Therapy?

It feels good to express ourselves, to give form to our experiences. When our expressions are witnessed in a safe environment, we have feelings of belonging and love. For these reasons and more, expressive arts therapists believe that creative expression in any form can be healing. Expressive arts therapy uses many different forms of expression including visual arts, writing, movement, crafts, and even things you may not think of as creative expression like cooking, planning a trip, gardening, building a sandcastle, or telling a story to a friend. Any expression can be art, and we are all artists.

As I listened to this podcast on CraftyPod called What Does Making Things Mean? Bridget Benton's definition of art resonated strongly with me. She said, "Art is a verb. It is the action of making something with meaningful mindful intent. ... Art is making with meaning." She added, "We are meaning making machines. Our use of symbols, stories, rituals is one of those things that distinguishes us as humans. We are all artists." These basic ideas are at the root of expressive arts therapy.

Symbolism in art helps us to communicate with the parts of ourselves that don't speak plain English, like our bodies, and the part of our minds we are not usually aware of. These parts already speak to us through dreams, emotions, and physical sensation. Through artistic symbolism, we can take part in this conversation with ourselves and get to know ourselves better. We become more aware of our whole selves when we pay non-judgmental attention to the processes and products of our creative expressions. Art and the self awareness it brings become ways to hold ourselves with love and compassion. When we practice caring for ourselves this way, we heal and grow.

What is your favorite form of creative expression? What is the process like? What is the result? What else?

Consider your answers to the above questions. If they have anything to do with a challenge in your life right now, what would it be? What else? What else?