Art Therapy: A Necessary Tool for Success Essay -- Art

Art is the self-expression of someone or something that shows the hidden or underlying emotions upon which are found within the unconscious mind (Merriam-Webster). Art can tell stories of past events which were significant to that culture or person. This could include things such as hunts or sacrifices to please the gods. As society and people started to evolve and become more and more like modern day society, so did art and how society viewed it. At the beginning of the renaissance in Europe, many new artists and ways of thinking began emerging which soon became the mainstream way of thinking. Artists from this time period transformed art from what it was to how we view it today. From being a tool to tell stories with, art slowly started to shift to a more abstract way of thinking. As people and their minds started to change, how we view art and the uses of how art became limitless. When someone talks about art, there are many different aspects that they could be talking about. Art could be a simple painting but it could also be an elegant sculpture or sketch. When thinking about art and the uses that art can have the possibilities are endless. Art could be used as self-expression of suppressed feelings that are unknown to the conscious. Art is looked at as a good way to relieve stress and express emotions. It was not until art was seen as something more than decoration that it became a form of therapy that could be used in our everyday lives. Art therapy is a very useful and effective therapy tool while treating kids and young adults with ongoing issues involving both emotional and or psychical damage. Art therapy is a form of expressive therapy that uses art materials such as paints chalk and markers to reveal hidden or ... ...tion, n.d. Web. 5 Mar. 2012. . Mueller, Karen, and Margie Whittaker Leidig. â€Å"Women’s Anger and Feminist Therapy.† Frontiers: A Journal of Women Studies 1 (Winter 1976): 23-30. JSTOR. Web. 5 Mar. 2012. . Wadeson, Harriet. Art Therapy and Art Education. Vol. 33, No. 4 ed. JSTOR . N.p., Apr. 1980. Web. 12 Apr. 2012. Wexler, Alice. â€Å"Painting Their Way out: Profiles of Adolescent Art Practice at the Harlem Hospital Horizon Art Studio.† Studies of Art Education 43 .4 (2002): 339-353. JSTOR. Web. 5 Mar. 2012. .