Art Therapy Benefits That Will Improve Your Life - A Guest Article from Alice Robertson of Tidy Home

Alice Robertson recently created Tidy Home as a place to share the great cleaning and organizing advice she has developed over the years. Alice loves helping others, and she knows having a clean, organized home can do wonders for stress and mental health.

Art Therapy Benefits That Will Improve Your Life

Art therapy has a variety of benefits, including stress and anxiety relief and the ability to deal with trauma in a healthy way. It has been used for years as a way to help build confidence and allow people of all ages to manage challenges in their lives, from overcoming addiction to handling the stressors that come with a fast-paced career. The wonderful thing about art therapy is that you don’t have to be a professional artist in order to enjoy the advantages; with the right tools, anyone can make art and find joy in doing so.

From Jill Spawn Ceramics, here are just a few ways you can make the most of art therapy for yourself.

Make it a family activity

Because art therapy doesn’t have to follow certain guidelines to be effective, you can utilize any number of mediums or methods to practice it. This means you might make the most of a quiet morning and paint a watercolor on the back porch, or sit down with the kids and create silly sculptures out of colorful clay. The act of creating can be relaxing, fun, stimulating, or a combination of all those things, and when it’s done with the people you love, you’ll get even more benefits. In fact, it’s a great way to carve out time from your day to spend with your children, which is perfect if you usually have a busy schedule. You can get involved in art in any number of ways, including:

●      Drawing or painting

●      Dancing

●      Sculpting

●      Origami

●      Singing

●      Playing an instrument

Set up a space in your home where you and your kids can create. This may be difficult if you live in an apartment, so explore your local options for rental homes. Checking what’s available regularly will help you find the best deal. Then you’ll have all the space you need!

Raise your confidence levels

Whether you choose to make art by yourself or with loved ones, doing so can boost your confidence and self-esteem in various ways. By creating something new, you’re investing time and energy into something that’s just for you, proving to yourself that you can do difficult things. You’re also giving yourself a safe way to confront challenging feelings, which can help you get through unresolved issues.

What’s more, creating art as a way to deal with your emotions will give you a timeline of physical proof showing how far you’ve come and documenting the progress you’ve made in your journey to feel better. Try keeping a sketchbook, using art prompts to help you stay motivated and add to it regularly.

Benefit your physical health

Not only is art therapy wonderful for managing difficult feelings, it can have a positive effect on your physical health, as well. Because our mental and physical wellbeing is so closely linked, practicing art therapy can provide several benefits for individuals who are living with chronic pain or debilitating diseases.

In fact, studies have shown that individuals who used art to manage the stress and anxiety associated with cancer treatment were also able to reduce physical pain and improve their quality of life. Whether you’re living with a health condition or are suffering from the physical effects of stress, art therapy can help.

Improve your communication skills

Art therapy can also help you manage outside factors in your life, such as relationships with your loved ones or your ability to be social. Many creative pursuits improve our ability to communicate and provide a healthy way to develop problem-solving skills. For some individuals, this is an invaluable tool that can help with managing the symptoms of addiction, boosting social skills, or repairing relationships with family members.

Open doors for a new career

Though it may not be what you’re after when you begin art therapy, you may find that you have an artistic aptitude that you want to turn into a career. Fortunately, there are many different potential business options available that allow you to monetize your artistic talents. Best of all, you don’t have to limit yourself to just one idea.

Practicing art therapy is something anyone can do, which means you can make it a family activity and bond with your children or keep it private so you can work things out on your own. By investing this time and energy into your needs, you’ll experience multiple benefits that will make a major difference in your wellbeing.

To shop handmade pottery for everyday use or for special occasions, visit Jill Spawn Ceramics today!