Art as Therapy: Healing Trauma Through Artistic Expression

In this article, we’ll explore the transformative power of art creation as a medium for expression and communication. 

Whether you’re a trauma survivor or simply curious about alternative healing methods, we hope this guide will provide valuable insights and answers to your questions. 

Creating Art for Therapeutic Benefits

Art creation improves a person’s physical, mental, and emotional well-being.

Using imagery, color, and shape can help one express thoughts and feelings that would otherwise be difficult to articulate.

It also helps reconcile emotional conflicts, foster self-awareness, manage behavior, develop social skills, improve reality orientation, reduce anxiety, and increase self-esteem.

So, how can you create art for therapeutic benefits? You create art using materials such as paints, chalk, and markers.

Don’t focus on creating a masterpiece. Rather, enjoy the creation process and explore feelings, thoughts, and experiences.

Anyone open to exploring their emotions and thoughts through a creative process can potentially benefit from this process. It’s also beneficial for:

• People dealing with mental health issues: It can be a powerful tool for individuals dealing with depression, anxiety, and more. It provides a non-verbal outlet for emotions and thoughts that might be difficult to express in words.
• Individuals who have experienced trauma: It helps those who have experienced physical or sexual abuse, a traumatic accident, or childhood trauma express their feelings in a safe and supportive environment.
• People with chronic illnesses or disabilities: It can help them cope with their condition, express their feelings, and improve their overall quality of life.

You don’t need to be an artist to benefit from practicing painting for healing. The focus is not on the end product but on the process of creation and the exploration of feelings and thoughts.

The Role of Art in Trauma Healing

Art is a powerful tool in the healing process of trauma. It provides a non-verbal outlet for emotions and thoughts that might be too difficult to articulate. Here’s how it works:

Expression of Trauma

Creating art allows individuals to express their trauma in a safe and controlled environment. This can be particularly beneficial for those who struggle to verbalize their experiences.

They can do so by selecting colors that embody their experiences. For instance, red can indicate passion, rage, or anger. Black can symbolize grief or darkness.

Pieces like The Enchanted Rose, Halloween Shadows, and The Queen Plant allow you to work with darker colors which can give voice to painful experiences.

With time, one may choose brighter colors to signify peace. A nature painting like Sunflower Field with vibrant yellows evokes a feeling of hope.

Completing a Piece of Paradise painting can fill one with a sense of calm because of the green vegetation, blue skies, a water body, and vibrant flowers.

Emotional Release

Creating art can be a cathartic process. It allows for the release of emotions that may have been suppressed or unacknowledged. This emotional release can lead to a reduction in symptoms associated with trauma, such as anxiety, stress, and depression.

It accomplishes this by mentally engaging the painter as they choose the color and create strokes on the canvas.

They can assign meaning to different colors and release the associated emotion as they use the color on the canvas. If thinking about an upcoming surgery makes you anxious, pick yellow (or any other color that represents the emotion) and paint.

This action allows you to feel and release, making you calmer. 

We compare emotion scores for individuals who received a traumatic diagnosis, with and without art sessions, in the table below.

Building Resilience

Painting can help individuals build resilience. Each stroke of the brush and selection of color allows them to make independent decisions, fostering a sense of mastery over their creation.

Paint by Numbers canvasses have numbered sections of varying shapes, which immerse individuals in the process to ensure they color within the sections.

This structured approach reduces anxiety and overwhelm by breaking down a complex image into small, manageable parts. As individuals focus on painting within these defined lines, they experience a reduction in stress.

As the image gradually comes to life, a sense of accomplishment grows.

These small victories can significantly impact an individual’s overall sense of well-being. It enhances their self-esteem and confidence, which are crucial components of resilience.

Mindfulness and Grounding

Coloring Paint Vibe designs can promote mindfulness and grounding, which are important aspects of trauma recovery. The act of creating art requires focus and presence, which can help individuals stay grounded in the present moment rather than getting lost in traumatic memories.

The simple act of choosing a color, dipping your brush, and applying paint to a numbered area requires a level of focus that keeps you firmly anchored in the present. 

This process helps distract from intrusive, traumatic memories that may try to pull your mind back to less pleasant times.

As your mind concentrates on painting within the lines, breathing can deepen, heart rate can slow, and overall stress levels can decrease.

Symbolic Communication

Art allows symbolic communication, which can be particularly helpful for those who struggle with expressing their trauma verbally.

Communication is crucial in processing trauma as it allows people to make sense of what happened and express pent-up anger, fear, or sadness.

It also helps them explore healthy coping mechanisms and manage triggers or flashbacks associated with the trauma. 

When they can’t express experiences through words, symbols and metaphors can help.

Paint Vibe’s numbered canvas designs invite individuals to express themselves beyond language constraints. Each color and shape can symbolize different aspects of their feelings or experiences.

Additionally, when others view a finished piece, it can open up new avenues for empathy and understanding.

Traumas That Can Be Addressed Through Art

Here are some types of trauma that can be addressed by creating art:

Physical or Sexual Abuse

Survivors of physical or sexual abuse often struggle with feelings of shame, guilt, and fear. Art can help them process these emotions, regain a sense of control, and work toward healing.

When survivors set up a painting station at home, it makes them feel safe. They’re in a familiar environment where they can just be and explore their feelings without fearing judgment.

Moving the brush along the canvas allows the externalization of trauma, away from a person’s mind and onto the page. Doing so helps survivors detach from the traumatic event. It loses its power to control their emotions and thoughts.

If they feel anxious, painting engages their mind in the current task, which calms them down.

What’s more, creating art reduces the potential for unhealthy coping mechanisms like substance abuse. Developing healthy coping skills is essential to feeling great and sustaining a positive view of oneself overall.

Traumatic Events

Individuals who have experienced a traumatic event such as a car accident, dire diagnosis, natural disaster, or violent crime can also benefit from at-home art sessions.

Creating art can help them express their feelings about the event, process their experiences, and reduce symptoms of post-traumatic stress.

The table below shows the effectiveness of art creation in reducing trauma symptoms.

Grief and Loss

Grief often involves emotions that are difficult to express through words. Painting provides a safe space to externalize sadness, anger, confusion, and joy through colors, shapes, and textures.

People can choose designs that capture what their loved ones were passionate about. Buildings if they appreciated architecture, wildlife if they were animal lovers, or a custom painting from their picture. 

Either choice allows one to immortalize the departed person and pour your emotions and memories onto the canvas as you do so.

As you focus on the brushstrokes and blending the colors, you get a reprieve from sadness and intrusive thoughts associated with grief.

The benefits become more evident if one can paint often. Remember that healing is a journey; like any journey, it takes time and patience. 

Exploring the Therapeutic Benefits of Art at Home

Here are a few simple activities to get you started:

Paint By Numbers Kits

Paint Vibe has design collections for animals, landscapes, and still life. Each kit includes a numbered canvas with corresponding paints, paint brushes, and a reference sheet.

To begin a therapeutic art session:

1. Choose your canvas: Opt for a theme that resonates with your current mood or evokes a specific memory you wish to express.
2. Prepare your workspace: Find a well-lit and comfortable area to spread out and focus solely on the creative process. Gentle music or calming nature sounds can further enhance the experience.
3. Gather your materials: Ensure you have all the materials provided in the kit.

Take a few deep breaths to center yourself and release any lingering worries. Focus on the present moment and:

1. Begin by filling in the larger, background sections. Match the paint colors to their corresponding numbers.
2. Move to smaller sections. Pay close attention to the details, allowing yourself to become fully immersed in the process.
3. Inject your own creative touch. Use colors that resonate with present emotions.
4. Take breaks if you need to. You can complete your painting on a different day; don’t try to finish it in a single sitting.
5. Take a step back and admire the finished sections or completed artwork. Acknowledge the effort and emotions poured into the creation, and allow yourself to feel a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction.
6. Hang your art on the wall and feel great every time you look at it.

Collage Making

This activity involves cutting out images and words from magazines or printed materials and arranging them on paper.

Pick images that express your feelings and thoughts. For example, a photo of dark clouds parting to a ray of sun can indicate a sense of hope after a struggle.

Sculpting With Clay

Working with clay can be very therapeutic. You can create anything you want, from abstract shapes to detailed figures. The tactile experience of molding clay can also help you feel more grounded.

If you’re dealing with trauma, it’s important to take care of yourself during these activities.

Some exercises might bring up strong emotions. If you start feeling overwhelmed, taking a break or stopping the activity is okay.

Experience Healing Even if You Lack Painting Skills

Art creation is a therapeutic approach that doesn’t require you to be an accomplished artist or have any previous art experience. 

The focus is not on the aesthetic quality of the work but rather on the creation process and the exploration of feelings, thoughts, and experiences that this process can facilitate.

Here are a few key points to remember:

• Artistic skill is not a prerequisite: The primary goal is to express and understand emotions, not to create a masterpiece. So, whether you’re a seasoned artist or someone who has never picked up a paintbrush, you can benefit from this practice.
• Art as a means of communication: It Provides a non-verbal medium for expressing thoughts and feelings that might be difficult to put into words. This can be particularly beneficial for those who find it hard to express their emotions verbally.

So, don’t let a lack of artistic skill deter you from creating art. 

Begin Your Painting Journey With Paint Vibe

In this article, we’ve explored the transformative power of art in healing trauma. We’ve delved into how art aids the processing of various types of trauma. 

We’ve also given you a glimpse into types of trauma and art you can practice to reduce trauma symptoms.

Additionally, we’ve discussed how to practice art at home.