THE VOICE OF ART
I have always found Art such a
powerful medium to release my feelings.
As infants, it’s instinctive to
play with paints – and make a wonderful mess. We don’t judge the artwork, we
just enjoy the moment.
But so many of us stop this
process when we reach an age when we believe we’re ‘rubbish’ at art. I recall a
few years ago when I ran an Animix® Art project in a primary school and I had
plenty of interest from years 3 and 4, but barely anything from years 5 and 6.
So I guess we hit that wall at about age 9yrs. I remember myself as a child of
about that age spending hours on a drawing of the scarecrow and Dorothy from my
favourite childhood film, and then ripping it into shreds because it was
‘rubbish’. But my love of Art never really left me and I’m grateful
to have had a career that endorsed it.
As a graphic designer, my task
as an artist is to remain objective and achieve results. But when I’m making
Art for me – it’s such an individual, natural and mindful process. It’s not
about trying to create a masterpiece; it’s about the active ‘process’ of
creating art; the way an image evolves at the tip of my paintbrush and the
feelings that brings.
Throughout my cancer journey, I
often turned to Art to supplement my diary. I absorbed myself into my drawings
and paintings finding a sense of expression and calm. This combination of words
in my diary and personal artworks became the foundation of my book – ‘See the
Colour in the Clouds.’
I’m very interested in Art
therapy and completed a Foundation Course a few years ago. It’s not a new
concept – in the second world war Art therapy contributed to the mental healing
process of war veterans with life changing injuries and shell-shock. In fact,
many people believe that cave paintings are the earliest form of Art therapy
whereby humans used Art to psychologically prepare hunters for their long and
dangerous hunting expeditions.
Making Art, whether you’re
facing an illness or not, is an expressive, absorbing and cathartic experience.
It’s accessible to everyone, it spans all ages, all cultures and all abilities.
“The free flow of creativity in
whatever form, is inherent in all of us, and once rediscovered can be a
powerful resource. So take the risk and embrace whatever comes.”
Art therapist – Cathy Malchiodi
#art #arttherapy #artastherapy #artintherapy #animix
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