What a joy it is to create! Whether we are decorating a cake, making a Halloween costume for a child, arranging souvenirs on a shelf, knitting a shawl, building a sand castle, or painting a picture on an easel, the creative act has a way of lifting us out of ourselves and into whatever it is we are creating. The urge to create takes different forms, but it is present in everyone in some measure. When seniors go through art therapy, it fills various purposes & ndash self-expression, creative play, intellectual stimulation, emotional release, and socialization.
Therapists have discovered that creating (the basis of all art) is not only freeing, but also healing. Somehow being able to take what is inside us, whether it is a plan, a thought, or a feeling, and expressing it in an outside creation leaves us feeling calmer, steadier, happier, and more joyful. In addition, art (other than the literary arts) has the wonderful quality of being wordless, releasing us from the need to understand what we are expressing. For seniors who have lost the ability to speak, art offers the priceless gift of self-expression.
Art gives us permission to be, in a three-dimensional and very present way. Art as healing therapy helps us access parts of ourselves long forgotten, hurt, or denied, helping us to integrate our inner selves with our environment. Art therapists, trained to pick up on the symbols expressed through creativity, can help us understand the unconscious or nonverbal thoughts we are expressing. Being able to share the challenges of aging through the creative process, and with a caring therapist, can lighten the emotional load of any elderly person, improving self-esteem and awareness and reducing stress, as well as providing a way to understand and manage feelings.
Anyone can engage in art and creativity, regardless of talent. Even if what your senior paints looks nothing like the subject he had in mind, the mere fact that he is working with color and form and texture makes the experience satisfying. Your senior can explore any form of art: painting, photography, and clay sculpture are just a few. Once engaged in artistic expression, your senior has something compelling to look forward to and has an interest to discuss and share with his or her family and fellow residents.
When investigating any care facility, ask about available therapies for the residents. If art therapy is among them, ask to meet the art director or art therapist. Let them talk about the program and gauge whether they are enthusiastic about the process. Find out how they interact with the residents and how they discern if any resident could benefit from one-on-one counseling. Ask about the types of art offered. Do they have quilting, crochet, and knitting? Do they have painting and sculpture and woodworking? Do they have photography? Do they have different levels of activity to suit different ability levels? Is there a display area for people& rsquo s work? Take a look at the room or rooms where the residents go to create. If it is spotless and unused, have a care. Art is free and freeing, and the best signs of a healthy program are residents busily engaged in the messy process of making art.
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