Exploring Therapeutic Creativity: Art as a Mental Health Resource
by Marissa Hernandez Smit
Entertainment. An escape. A luxury…. Is this all that art is good for?
As an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (AMFT) with an emphasis on Expressive Arts Therapy, I study and practice how expressive arts combine the visual arts, movement, drama, music, writing, and other creative processes to foster profound personal growth and community development.
Marissa Smit instructing our Boundless Youth Self-discovery Filmmaking students.
I was drawn to this specific segment within the mental health profession because ever since I was a child, art-making has always been an enjoyable experience for me. I was a crafty kid who liked to draw, build dioramas, and enact elaborate stories with my dolls. It wasn’t until I got older, when I explored the dramatic arts and storytelling, that I realized how vital these skills were for my well-being and growth.
Art is not only helpful in the confines of therapy; engaging in the arts in your everyday life offers therapeutic benefits, and here are three reasons why:
Art-making is a universal, naturally selected human behavior.
Art can be understood as a universal behavior of humankind; the behavior of art is about both making and experiencing. “All human societies, past and present, as far as we know, make and respond to art; it is a way of understanding ourselves and the modern human condition.” We know that art-making has selective value because it is so ubiquitous. The arts “have been used to better mental health since antiquity. Ancient Egyptian, African, Chinese, Greek, Hebrew, and Indian cultures employed the media of drama, music, visual art, and literature in the prevention and treatment of mental disorders.” In the 21st century, we can get so caught up in thinking that we are either “good at” or “not good at” art, without realizing that art-making is a potent and meaningful endeavor that has nothing to do with what looks good or what will sell for lots of money.
Art-making is play, opening us to new possibilities and potential.
Play is essential, not just for children but for adults too. The demands of life can tend to rob adults of playfulness, but play is the single most significant factor in determining our success and happiness. When approached playfully (aka. when the value is in the process of exploring and expressing, and not the end product or “quality” of outcome), the expressive arts can act as a container that allows the adult to approach conflict themes playfully. When engaged in expressive arts, you are not restricted by the logic of reality, and that openness gives what is hidden in us a chance to be seen and utilized as a possible resource. With these options come new perspectives, ideas, and images of alternative ways to act or respond to life's challenges.Art-making is physiologically calming, no matter your skill level.
“Emotions are going to happen inside of you just as surely as your heart is going to beat and your lungs are going to extract oxygen from the air you breathe…and they are useful biological communicators…Where problems arise is when we get stuck in our emotions…The goal then is to facilitate how emotions move through you to produce an inner capacity and resourcefulness that allows you to navigate the daily fluctuations of your life, even when you are feeling difficult emotions.” Studies are showing these psychological and physiological benefits of art-making:
Enhances self-efficacy and coping skills.
Increases the brain’s plasticity and ability to adapt to new experiences.
Lowers the stress hormone response.
Enhances immune functioning.
Releases serotonin and endorphins that foster a more generous, open frame of mind.
This isn’t a comprehensive list. The benefits of the arts in daily life continue to be studied neurologically, anthropologically, and psychologically. Whether it's doodling with crayons, strumming a guitar, or writing a stage play, children and adults can benefit from even a 20-minute free-play art-making session.
1 - International Expressive Arts Therapy Association (https://www.ieata.org/)
2 - What is Art For? By Ellen Dissanayake
3 - The Creative Arts in Counseling: a Multicultural Perspective By Donna A. Henderson, Ph.D., and Samuel T. Gladding, Ph.D., The Arts in Psychotherapy, Vol. 25, No. 3, pp. 183–187, 1998
4 - Play: How it Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul. By Stuart L. Brown
5 - Principles and Practice of Expressive Arts Therapy: Toward a Therapeutic Aesthetics. By Paolo J. Knill, Ellen G. Levine, and Stephen K. Levine
6 and 7 - Your Brain on Art: How the Arts Transform Us. By Susan Magsamen and Ivy Ross
Marissa Smit
Art Therapist
Marissa Smit is an artist, teacher, and therapist. She studied acting at the Meisner Technique Studio in San Francisco. Today she teaches acting to youth ages 6-16 at Empowerhouse Studios. She recently completed a certification from NYU Tisch’s Film & TV Industry Essentials. She earned her master’s degree in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in Expressive Arts Therapy from the California Institute of Integral Studies. Her self-designed undergraduate degree in Creativity and Child Development from the University of California, Berkeley, paved the way for eleven years of experience working with children of all ages and in various community settings. Marissa loves teaching young people because they are experts at seeing the world with wonder and curiosity. She believes creative expression can heal and aspires to guide youth toward their growth using artistic modalities such as drama, visual arts, language arts, movement, music, and film.