Art and Neuroscience

Have you ever been curious about why some people are perfectly content being a “starving artist?” Maybe, it’s because their core job of creating art is stress relieving and relaxing. I must admit that when I first heard of art therapy several years ago, I was skeptical. I, like many others, thought that the purpose of art therapy was primarily for children or simply an outlet of expression. This is likely because I perceived art and neuroscience to be complete opposites. Though, the benefits of creativity and artwork is commonly underestimated, and research has suggested that participating in different forms of art can have several beneficial effects on one’s brain.

How do two seemingly opposite fields such as freely driven art and the scientific study of the brain work together? Curiously, art therapy has the potential to be much more than this, as it offers a different approach from the traditional talk therapy. Konopka suggests in their journal article, that there are significant connections between art therapy and healing the brain. Konopka notes that “Art therapy has gained popularity because it combines free artistic expression with the potential for significant therapeutic intervention” (Konopka, 2014). Konopka also discusses that even further research is necessary to fully understand the potential of art therapy and its relationship to cognitive functioning.

Many people have experienced the positive effects of art therapy, and some claim that it has even contributed to changing their life. Some brain injury survivors attending art therapy, share their stories on a local PBS news station. One participant, Jennifer, shares that she is now able to “Reconnect with her cognitive functions and mobility that she lost from her [brain] injury” (PBS, 2016). This program also discussed how “recreational therapy such as Art and music can help heal the brain at faster and more complete rates” (PBS, 2016). Martin, who is an art therapist also shares how art therapy contributed to understanding and centering a young man who was threatening homicide (American Therapy Association, 2018).

Perhaps you do not have a traumatic brain injury, and this whole concept seems very specific and non-relatable. Perhaps, the idea of attempting to create something visually appealing may be intimidating. Regardless of your ability or need, art therapy may still have beneficial effects on the brain. Konopka notes that “for years, we recognized that art-making allowed one to re-frame experiences, reorganize thoughts, and gain personal insight that often enhances one’s quality of life” (Konopka, 2014).  Writer, Priscilla Frank discusses in their article various findings supporting the notion that just 45 minutes of artwork can reduce cortisol levels (Frank, 2016). In Frank’s article, they discuss how the act of engaging in an artful activity relieves the very common experience of stress (Frank, 2016). Frank suggests that if you are feeling the burden of stress, you will likely find relief in some old-fashioned arts and crafts.

From relieving stress to rewiring one’s brain after a traumatic brain injury, participating in art is beneficial. It is important to also note that there is certainly a difference between art therapy and personal participation in art. Art therapists are trained at the Master level and “work with people who are challenged with medical and mental health problems, as well as individuals seeking emotional, creative, and spiritual growth” (American Art Therapy Association, 2018). However, regardless of your needs, engaging in forms of artistic participation can have widespread beneficial effects on your brain. So the next time your feeling stressed or overwhelmed, it’s a good idea to engage in some creative expression.

 

References

American Art Therapy Association. (2017). About Art Therapy. Retrieved from Arttherapy.org: arttherapy.org/about-art-therapy/

American Art Therapy Association. (2017). Story Library. Retrieved from Arttherapy.org: arttherapy.org/story-library/

Frank, P. (2016, June 16). Study says making art reduces stress, even if you kind of suck at it. Retrieved from Huffingtonpost.com: huffingtonpost.com/entry/study-says-making-art-reduces-stress_us_576183ece4b09c926cfdccac

Konopka, L. M. (2014). Where art meets neuroscience: a new horizon of art therapy. U.S. National Library of Medicine. DOI: 10.3325/cmj.2014.55.73

PBS (Director). (2016). Art therapy helps patients with traumatic brain injury. Retrieved from PBS.org: pbs.org/video/njtvnews-art-therapy-helps-patients-traumatic-brain-injury/.

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3 comments

  1. Art therapy is a very interesting type of therapy. I have heard of this type of therapy, and it does seem very helpful. A similar therapy that I am familiar with is music therapy. We used this type of therapy in the clinic that I work at. I have seen it aid in speech therapy for autistic children. These types of therapies can be great for autistic patients that need a lot of sensory stimulation.

  2. There have actually been times that I have wondered why someone can be content as a starving artist. However, I have never actually stopped to think about how art can be a form of personal therapy, let alone actual therapy. As I started reading your post, I will admit that I was also skeptical. Then, I started to reflect on it some more. I realized that any time I have been engaging in art (i.e. sketching or painting), it was always an uplifting experience. My mind was free to create, without limits, and the only thing that I was thinking about was that very moment. My thoughts were not racing; I was not worried about this or that; I was focused specifically on what I was creating.

    Given this, I started to wonder about additional applications for art therapy. Interestingly, art therapy has also been shown to improve the psychological well-being, quality of life and coping ability for patients with cancer (Wood, Molassiotis, & Payne, 2010). Further, it was found that art therapy was effective in relieving depression and improving mood and overall attitude in the elderly (Wood et al., 2010). One limitation noted though is that art therapy is not always the most cost-effective option, specifically because a trained and certified art therapist must conduct the courses (McCaffrey, 2007). In a review of current literature, the requirement of training has been questioned as some studies conducted art therapy without certified instructors and others had utilized certified instructors – results seemed to indicate that courses with certified instructors provided the most benefit; however, concern was raised because there is quite a bit of variation in training and overall session structure (Wood et al., 2010).

    Regardless, it would certainly be interesting to conduct a study utilizing art therapy in various capacities (i.e. group therapy, individual therapy or hybrid group/individual therapy). The question becomes, what are some additional applications? Depression, cancer, stress and anxiety were already mentioned, but one wonders if art therapy would be useful for treatment of personality disorders, substance abuse disorders or even dissociative disorders. Ultimately, I think that a multifaceted approach – one that involved art therapy – could be beneficial, but I believe that additional studies would be required to demonstrate the best possible applications for this type of therapy.

    References

    McCaffrey, R. (2007). The effect of healing gardens and art therapy on older adults with mild to moderate depression. Holistic Nursing Practice, 21(2), 79-84. doi: 10.1097/01.HNP.0000262022.80044.06

    Wood, M. J. M., Molassiotis, A., & Payne, S. (2010). What research evidence is there for the use of art therapy in the management of symptoms in adults with cancer? A systematic review. Psycho-Oncology, 20(2), 135-145. doi: 10.1002/pon.1722

  3. Art therapy is something I’ve heard of but I don’t have much knowledge on. I can see how there is benefits to it, especially those with Autism Spectrum Disorder or a Traumatic Brain Injury. However, I have been around a lot of horseback riding therapy. In my area, we have plenty of stables that exist for the sole purpose of therapeutic horseback riding. Many people who suffer from the aforementioned problems have found great peace with horseback riding. Did you know that horses are excellent on picking up our emotional cues? They are amazing creatures.
    I found a study that focused on horseback riding therapy and children suffering from Cerebral Palsy. The study found that horseback riding actually assisted with improving gross motor skill functioning in these children. (Snider, Korner-Bitensky, Kammann, Warner, & Saleh, 2009). Therapeutic horseback riding has also been found to reduce symptoms of social anxiety in young women, which is a growing problem today. (Alfonso, Alfonso, Llabre, & Fernandez, 2015)
    Art therapy and horseback riding therapy seem to be great options for multiple disorders and injuries. I think it should be more of an option for people who are already participating in some kind of behavioral or physical therapy. Thanks for sharing about this great area of counseling!

    References

    Snider, L., Korner-Bitensky, N., Kammann, C, Warner, S., & Saleh, M. (2009). Horseback riding as therapy for children with cerebral palsy. Physical and Occupational Therapy In Pediatrics, 27(2), 5-23.

    Alfonso, S. V., Alfonso, L. A., Llabre, M. M., & Fernandez, M. I. (2015). Project Stride: An equine-assisted intervention to reduce symptoms of social anxiety in young women. Journal of Science and Healing, 11(6), 461-467.

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