Therapy Through Art

Without art and colors, it is difficult to realize how beautiful the earth is! From rhythmic prose to flowing brushes, everything under the sun is Art. As appealing as they might be to the eyes, so much they are to the mind as well. Did you ever wonder why scribbling on the back pages of our little school notebooks was so much fun? From walking barefoot on the cool mud to listening to happy songs, from cooking our favorite dishes to reading those joyful stories, everything is Art. Wonderfully, the very nature of this ‘joy in creation’ is therapeutic!

Art therapy is a twentieth-century term coined by Adrian Hill, the founding father of the said science. Her roots can be traced back to the trauma of the Second World War. With so much bloodshed and inhuman atrocities, it was essential to help soldiers with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Today, the world is at war again. An invisible war. Even dangerous. The enemy sitting right within us. In our stressed minds, depressed thoughts, envy and trouble. But as dark clouds always have a silver lining, there is hope to heal too.

Artists are the harbingers to the dreams of a happy earth. They paint a beautiful future with colors of the present moment and shades of the gone past! It is art alone that has the power to cure disturbed hearts irrespective of any borders.

Located in Delhi, Himanshu Art Institute, in collaboration with ‘Brain in Brush’, led by art therapist Jyoti Sharma, recently organised a one day workshop for budding artists. Being a new term to discover, it created some wonder and commotion among the participants.

The short theory session was followed by many interesting activities. Theories are best when put to ground with some music and dance. Students were handed surprise envelopes. The retreating joy of letters. The packet had many colorful cutouts, some pictures, and some words. And everyone was asked to pick only those cutouts that matched with their core nature and paste them on a white sheet. The activity was simple, yet so much fun. A light process of self-discovery.

Well! Can you imagine that bursting a balloon actually helps to release past baggage of trauma and pain?

Well! It works.

The workshop was thus filled with many such out of the box fun! And they were all simple.

Simplicity is powerful.

Patterns and lines form a very important part of the entire exercise in the therapy. Our respected host, Ms.Jyoti Sharma, put subtle emphasis on the importance of honest expression. That is, Honesty to the self. Thats it.

Art therapy is a form of art that does not mix her intentions with the rules of Art. It is as candid as wildlife photography.

There is but one rule here….that there are no rules!

Go sailing free birds….

All lines and curves, shapes and symmetries, scribbles and dribbles have an effect on the mind. It was interesting to note the following:

• ● Draw straight vertical lines to boost your logical skills.
• ● Horizontal lines help you to be emotionally driven.
• ● Zig- Zag patterns reduce anger!
• ● Spirals encourage creativity!

Arent they amazing?!

Now we know why scribbling on the back pages of our little school notebooks was SO MUCH FUN!

Every Traditional Indian Art is inspired from such lines and patterns and thus invokes positive energies onto the place they are created upon.

Today, art is thriving as a potential career in many young minds. And here is some good news. There are courses available to pursue a career in this vibrant field. Why not try your hands? It is a noble realization that art can heal beyond imagination!!

With all such beautiful insights, the workshop was a success. Some practical exercises were the greatest takeaways from the session.

Himanshu Art Institute is thus, the ultimate place to venture into the unventured realms of creativity.

Art is not the mirror held up to reality, but a hammer with which you shape it.