Sold! For $500 the art piece Escape by Deborah Leigh. Deborah Leigh is my aunt, and over 9 years ago she was diagnosed with breast cancer, and in a period of coping with mental illness. When diagnosed in her late 50’s she started to “doodle” to help her relax. If someone told her then that she was going to sell hundreds of paintings around the world, she would have laughed in their face. My aunt needed a get away, a healthy way to manage what she was going though, and what spoke to her was art therapy. Art therapy is a method of creative expression that can help heal and strengthen mental well-being. This can either be creating it or viewing others art, it helps with expressing emotions, work on social skills and self-awareness as well as boost self esteem and cope with stress. The main goal of art therapy is to find a new personal way to help you with your struggles. This treatment helps improve the mental health of people who have to deal with addiction, anxiety, depression, eating disorders, trauma, grief and loss, cancer, dementia, PTSD and many others. What makes this method so amazing is that you don't need to have artistic ability or “talent” and it doesn't matter what age you are because everyone and anyone can benefit from it. There are also no rules in art, so if you feel like painting with your nose, so be it, go right ahead. Your art can also express as little or as much as you want. You can show the darkest memory you have or just paint a happy flower in the sun. Art is art and there is no judgement or limitations. There was a study done in https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17482631.2016.1267343 (2017) in a hospital where the employees displayed different types of art to see how the patients would react. And the study found that the patients felt more safe and it improved socialization. Art has been used to communicate and as a form of self expression for centuries. But this type of therapy has not been official since the 1940s. Professionals have realized that people who suffer from mental illness repeatedly expressed themselves in their sketches and artwork. This lead to using art as a healing strategy. Ever since then, this technique has become one of the most important therapeutic techniques. Lucy G
15 Comments
Riley Matthews
4/14/2021 09:59:32 am
Wow Lucy this is something I had no Idea about. It is so interesting that this is a form of therapy that is relaxing and requires the mind to create whatever it feels like. I feel like a lot of people could use this kind of therapy for releasing anxiety especially without having to speak and share their feelings. Instead expressing them through art. And even making a profit. So cool! Thank you for sharing!
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emily
4/14/2021 10:04:12 am
Lucy this was such a well written blog, I have tried to find things just to keep me calm during stressful times and I agree art is a great way to do that! I have tried painting before, but that did not really work, so now I just colour in books. Thats amazing though about ur aunt ! seriously it is a amazing method of relaxation but at the same time you can make such beautiful interpretations of life with it!
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Devon
4/14/2021 11:51:22 am
Thank you for sharing Lucy! Art is a great form of self expression and a way to allow yourself to relax. I have found that I really enjoy colouring books when I want to relax. I'll normally put music on, find a comfy spot to sit or go outside, and spend some time away from distractions around me. Your aunts story is amazing! It's really cool how she was able to use art as a way to cope and then also turn it into a way to make profit.
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avery
4/14/2021 12:09:00 pm
Lucy, I thought that this was such a great blog topic. My favourite part was when you mentioned that nobody has to have "talent" or artistic ability to do art. Art is such a broad spectrum which is what I love about it. It was cool to hear how your aunt was able to start making and selling paintings. Art therapy is a unique topic and I'm glad that you wrote about it so I could learn more :)
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Tyler Lenton
4/14/2021 12:42:53 pm
I really enjoyed this blog. Seeing other ways that you are able to cope with something that is happening is nice to have. I didn't really even think that art in this way had so much meaning behind it. But after reading this I do really agree with this. Through art you are able to show how you are feeling if you don't want to talk to someone. Like through colour and I feel like if you are stressed and going through hard times that would be a really good thing to do. And thank you for sharing this with us!
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amelie g
4/14/2021 01:07:42 pm
i am touched by this Lucy!
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Brianna S
4/14/2021 01:29:09 pm
I really like this blog, yesterday I went to a Van Gogh exhibit and learnt about how he used art to cope with his mental illness. As an art student myself, I can definitely understand how art can be super beneficial to your mental health.
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Alexa Kusel
4/14/2021 01:40:28 pm
I love this blog Lucy! I love art and its such a good way to calm ourselves and get rid of stress. I hope to use art to help with mental health more in the future.
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Caiti
4/14/2021 01:42:59 pm
I’ve always been interested in learning more about art therapy and how it can help with mental health, mindset and even intellectual disabilities. I love that your aunt was able to heal with the help of art therapy and eventually make a profit off of her art!
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Taylor
4/14/2021 01:43:31 pm
Thanks for sharing that story about your Aunt! I had no idea that this was a type of therapy. I find it very interesting! I think a lot of people could benefit from trying this. There are no limits to what you can create with art so I find that very freeing. I don't do much art myself but at the beginning of quarantine I did a lot of painting.
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Kaysey
4/17/2021 12:14:25 am
The concept of art is very wide and I love it. Anything can be art. I am not one to be artistic or creative but have many friends who find their form of expressing emotions through art, ( including music). Art has a way of revealing things without speaking which i find fascinating. I personally like to do cross- stitch which benefits me in the same ways you mentioned throughout your blog. Thanks for sharing !
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Lina
9/16/2022 02:05:05 pm
I really liked that blog. I think art is a great way to express your feelings and even simple forms of art like colouring should be taken more serious especially in form of therapy
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Quinn
9/16/2022 02:12:48 pm
This was really interesting! Art is such a good way to convey your emotions, and express yourself in a way that words can’t. Art therapy definitely isn’t talked about enough and is such an amazing type of therapy, whether it’s with an actual therapist or on your own.
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Melina
9/16/2022 02:18:36 pm
I really liked this blog!! Drawing/painting is also my favorite thing to do when I'm overwhelmed or stressed out. Art is healing because it forces you to forge a connection between your mind and your body.
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Emma Siebold
9/28/2023 01:58:27 pm
Hey Lucy,
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