Art as a Path to Resilience and Recovery

‘Art heals through directly engaging the mind, body and spirit.’ — Shaun McNiff  
 
Art can spark our imagination, creativity and thinking. When in the presence of art, we may experience wonder and awe, inspiration and hope, and our internal awareness and capacity for transformation can expand through experiences with art and creativity. Throughout the ages, people have used pictures, stories, dances and chants as healing rituals. Studies show that expression through creativity can boost mood, reduce stress, relieve pain and enhance memory.  

For many, art helps to communicate what words often cannot. For those living with trauma, chronic illness and pain, art has provided a conduit to access deeply hidden emotions, helping to integrate them into their life story.  

The emotional outlet art offers can help dial down the physical sensations, sometimes by simply turning the mind away from them and bringing us back into the present. Art is restorative and can harness the healing power within each of us and help to facilitate the restoration of self to recover wholeness through a sense of well-being, resilience and social engagement.  

Connection to ourselves and others is at the core of art and healing. Healing isn’t a destination with a fixed timeline or endpoint but rather a path—or many paths, a journey with endless possibilities stretching out in all directions. 

Mary Casotti 
Art Therapist, Artist and Mandorla Committee Member