The Healing Properties of Art

by Toni Stanfield

Change is the only constant in life, yet we are never ready for the emotional storms that loss and change generate within us. Anger, guilt, envy, confusion, and fear may well inhabit our mind and body and will not let us rest. After each loss, an emotional turmoil erupts inside. How can we release such powerful emotions? Do we even dare to release them? Do we dare not to release them?

When confronted with emotional storms, we do have choices. One choice is to repress them and pretend that nothing happened. When a wound is denied, it grows or migrates to other people in the family. (McNiff. Art Heals p.113). Another choice is to let the storm erupt in anger toward others or ourselves through harmful action such as substance abuse or reckless living. Alternatively, a productive choice can be to express our powerful emotions through the arts. We can use an art form as a vehicle to contain and express our emotions by creating images which will invite us into widening our lens of perception and multiplying our choices of how to be in the world.

A wound needs awareness and expression in order to heal. Then how do we express these inner wounds, this invisible pain, which cannot be x-rayed or sent to a lab to be measured? Shawn McNiff, art therapist, lecturer and author, in his book "Art Heals", states that in order for the pain to be addressed and expressed, it is important to create a safe space—a healing studio. A healing studio is a space where a person is given the tools and permission to express themselves without judgment. After we create this safe space, we choose a medium we find gratifying. There are numerous venues of self expression including drawing, painting, writing, music, storytelling, sculpture, assemblage, cooking, gardening, sewing, quilting, dancing, photography, and poetry. Once in a safe place, and while holding our pen or "brush", we begin conscious observation of the inner life. We make ourselves think about a topic or a person and feel and watch with our inner eye the images that come up. From here, we paint, write, and express without censoring ourselves. Once created, the artwork—which may be a poem, a painting, some old piece of jewelry reassembled in a new way, or a garden—have a life and energy of their own. The artwork becomes an invitation to see reality in a new way. If we accept the invitation, our perception of ourselves changes and our options on how to be in the world are increased. It is amazing how words can create metaphors, which become healing agents by transforming perception and thus reality.

Just Imagine Creative Arts Healing Center is Traverse City's "healing studio". Just Imagine is a place where healing and wellness are promoted by participation in a wide variety of arts and creative programs. Examples of such innovative programs include Friday Night Express Coffeehouse every Friday night at 8pm which offers a forum of creative expression through storytelling, poetry, music and other varieties of the spoken and unspoken word. Another program offered, the Saturday Family Art Retreat, cultivates family bonding through arts and other forms of creative expression.

A variety of creative classes and workshops give many opportunities to bring families closer together and learn healthy, healing ways of finding personal expression. A free day of Open Studio time is available every Monday from 10am-3pm to give space and inspiration for local artists to create. An area devoted to women is a GALS Network event every fourth Monday of every month. This time allows for networking, sharing, building relationships, learning valuable lessons from guest speakers, being involved in creative projects and enjoying exquisite hors d'oeuvres.

The invitation to the creative programs offered is open to all members of the local area community and beyond to inspire and cultivate each individual's art form in pursuit of maximum fulfillment, health and vitality.

Toni Petrella Stanfield, MS, LLP Psychotherapist is Director of Life Transitions Counseling in Traverse City, Michigan where she provides counseling and spiritual direction to individuals and families going through major life transitions: death of a loved one, terminal illness, divorce, change in career, pregnancy and empty nest.