During one of my semesters in college, I took an Art Therapy class. Through the class, I was not only able to better some of my artistic skills, but I was able to work on knowing myself. Initially, at the start of this class, I was very hesitant with showing my art with people that I’ve never met before. I have always been interested in making art and doing projects involving it; however, I was not always excited about showing my artwork. I’m not really the type of person who enjoys talking about themselves in groups of people or even in small groups with my friends. Overall, I am really glad that I was able to step out of my comfort zone to talk about myself and even share with others my opinions as well as my art. Although I was uncomfortable, there were times where I was glad to relieve some anxiety and talk about what I’ve made. I even realized that most of my art was self-reflected on myself, not only physically, but mentally as well. The different experiential art projects really helped me to open up and better understand what I wanted not only from others but from myself.

Taking the art therapy class was a combination of both art and therapy. This meant that sometimes we would be drawing or playing with modeling clay and other times we would be thinking about our inner thoughts and making art which reflected them. I would suggest art therapy to those who do not necessarily want to see a therapist. I would suggest it more specifically for children as they are not as vocal about their feelings and making art can help them to express what they can’t put into words.

A few short examples of art therapy are:

Scribble drawings: which is where people make scribbles on a paper for a few seconds then stop and try to find images in their art

Clay: where people can just squeeze the clay and make whatever comes to mind

Mandalas: These are fun because a person can either color an already made one or they can make their own. A Mandala is a circular center which is surrounded my multiple shapes.

Art making has become my escape from reality. It really helps to open your mind to your own thoughts and towards the end of the semester, I was able to ignore the negative thoughts I had about my art and just let go. It allows you to clear your mind and helps you to meditate. If you have had any past experiences with art or people have insulted your art, it allows for you to work on your art and become more comfortable with your art as well as yourself. If I want to be able to help others, I must first be able to help myself. At the end of the day, I am able to say that I am happy and content with not only my art but with who I am.