What is the importance of art in society?

What is the importance of art in society?

ART AS THERAPY

Art is a form of expression, and as such it has a liberating and de-stressing effect for those who practice and/or enjoy it.

This is why it has been used in psychology for years as a therapy to improve, heal and put aside any mental illness or disorder that a person may be going through, with the help of artistic elements or forms of art creation.

Art therapy is a healing tool that was formalized in the 1920s. At that time, mental health professionals began to notice that some patients suffering from mental disorders expressed themselves through painting or other artistic forms.

This sparked the interest of researchers in the area and they came up with the strategy of using art as a form of therapy when a verbal method was not efficient.

Art as therapy is a three-channel technique: the therapist, the client or patient, and the art. However, not everything is so absolute, since it is not necessary to consult a psychologist or psychiatrist to obtain the curative results of the creative process in which art is manifested.

If we focus on therapy as such, it can take place in various settings, including private offices, community centers, prisons, schools and hospitals.

It is usually used with people who suffer from post-traumatic stress, either due to sexual abuse, or some traumatic experience, such as being involved in war conflicts or being victims of large-scale accidents.

It is also applied to individuals who suffer from physical illnesses such as cancer, AIDS, to people diagnosed with autism, dementia or Alzheimer's, depression, schizophrenia or other psychological disorders, to children with school delays, attention problems or another series of difficulties that many children experience. currently present, among others.

Because it does not require skill or impeccable handling of the art techniques that you wish to practice to expel emotions, art therapy can be used by anyone who wishes to do so.

With this method, individuals manage to overcome or resolve psychological conflicts, as well as improve social and communication skills, since art represents another means of communication.

All this because whoever practices it does so in a pleasant, non-invasive, free environment and uses their mind in a way that allows them to be focused on the present moment, letting their thoughts and creativity flow.

Art therapy is also a tool used for personal development, to relieve everyday tensions and to promote self-knowledge.

For this reason, it is not necessary to suffer from a psychological disorder or trauma to resort to this technique of expression through art.

Just as art therapy is not used in a specific location, it is also formulated through different artistic manifestations (theater, dance, painting, music, writing, collage, sculpture).

Whoever applies it has the freedom to express what distresses him, causes him fear, afflicts him, or causes frustration, letting out with his creativity those emotions that he did not know how to express in a conventional way.

The artist or patient who uses art as therapy is the only one who has the power to give meaning to her work.

For this reason, the therapist limits himself to giving the instructions of the exercise that he deems appropriate and provides the silence and the necessary space for the creative activity to be carried out without external interruptions that could cause distractions and break the internalization process.