Art can help people relax, unwind, release feelings and provide alternative ways of communication, which can include communicating how one feels.

Feelings can be expressed through conventional and unconventional methods when using many different art mediums.

Individuals have the opportunity to project their feelings into their art work which makes their feelings tangible. They can also see their feelings from an objective view point by allowing themselves to disconnect from those feelings.

“Artistic endeavours not only stimulate personal growth but also builds confidence through sense of achievement” (Warren 1993)

Once an expression is formed through an art medium the clients have the choice to do what they want with the piece. For example if someone is feeling angry and has expressed this through their art work, they may choose to throw it away allowing them to physically disconnect from that emotion and relieve them from the negative feeling. Others may choose to keep their emotions or display them, which gives them the opportunity to revisit the experiences.

This process is a safe and effective way of understanding and working through emotions because the experience can be empowering.

It is important to emphasise the creative process which the clients go through as it is this that can be therapeutic and is where feelings are understood. We encourage clients to paint and draw in non literal shapes to help them focus on the expression rather than the aesthetics of a piece. Seeing the end product for some though, may help them clarify their expression as they can analyse it and put their own meaning to it.

We do activities such as painting (with brushes and string), blind drawing, clay moulding, sand casting, jigsaw making, collaborative drawings (working as a group to create one art piece or passing the paper around to add to several pieces of paper), collages, conversational drawing (communication through shapes and colour), mask creating, producing musical instrument, stencils and doodling.

As an organisation we are open to try all kinds of art mediums and methods of working – all to help enhance our clients’ experiences.

“Art making provided a means of expression for those who were often uncommunicative.” (www.nccata.org)