Explore Yourself Through Art: A Practical Guide to Using a Wide Range of Art Forms for Self-expression, Personal Growth and Problem-solving - Softcover

Barber, Vicky

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1903258448 ISBN 13: 9781903258446

Publisher: Carroll and Brown Publishers Ltd, 2010

Synopsis

The first practical guide to self-directed art therapy. Dozens of enjoyable, easy to master exercises enable you to get back in touch with yourself, solve problems and take pleasure in abilities rarely demonstrated. Requires no art training or specialist materials, only a desire to uncover hidden talents.

About this title

Synopsis

Art therapy is a vital resource for anyone struggling with personal issues or in search of personal growth, and is useful for people who have difficulty expressing themselves. It is particularly rewarding since it is not about a beautiful end product but, more importantly, the process and experience of creation. Scientists now know that art heals by changing a person's physiology and attitude. As the body undergoes deep relaxation, stress and fear disappear, and creativity and inspiration are freed. This is because a different brain wave pattern is produced, which then works on every cell in the body through blood flow and the immune system, to induce a healthier physiological state. Explore Yourself through Art is divided into three sections. You Inside and You Outside help people to achieve a more complete awareness of personal needs, both within themselves and in relation to others, and You in the World allows them to see and accept where and how they fit into the greater world. The book has forty guided activities that promote both physical and cognitive abilities, from fine motor movements and tactile awareness to decision-making and sequencing.

Chapters cover subjects as varied as scribbling, mind and body, working with clay, masks, assemblages, dreams and senses, habits and rituals, seasons, elements and the environment. The chapter on masks for example, shows what a powerful means of communication they are. Making and wearing masks allows us to unlock inhibitions and to reveal varying sides of ourselves to others. Although art therapy is often done in groups led by a trained therapist, individuals working by themselves at home can still benefit from the core techniques. Patterns from one's past may be revealed or experiences may produce insights that enable readers to make more informed life choices. Self-esteem and self-confidence therefore is often strengthened, and stress-related symptoms may subside. The creative process of art can help promote cognition, perception and emotional wellbeing. Spontaneous art of different kinds can be used as tools to uncover the expression of the subconscious mind, and can bring problems closer to the surface and even help you to resolve them. - The first practical guide to self-directed art therapy.

- No prior knowledge or training necessary so activities are suitable for anyone, from novice to expert - Activities involve widely available, non-specialist materials and cover a wide range of media. - Warm-up exercises in colour, line, shape and form, and texture help readers feel more comfortable with the concept of spontaneous imaging as a form of self-expression and self-exploration. - Each activity is prefaced by its main aims and the benefits the activity can bring and contains guidelines to help readers make sense of their creations. - Insights into other people's end results allow readers to become more involved in interpretation. - If particularly fortunate, readers may even discover particular talents or expertise that can prove a source of continuing delight.

Edition details

• Publisher: Carroll and Brown Publishers Ltd
• Publication date: 2010
• ISBN 10: 1903258448
• ISBN 13: 9781903258446
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 160