Creative Sobriety

Using Art Therapy to Treat Addiction

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Art Therapy

art therapyThe therapeutic elements of art creation are many. Art is good for the mind and the soul on many levels. Art comes in many varieties, but its objective is always the same: to create something that will provide entertainment, enlightenment and information to an audience. This experience may be intellectual or sensory. The therapeutic element of creating art comes from the creative process and through the presentation of the finished product. Creativity is innate in humans, and regardless of your personality, chances are you are creatively talented in one way or another.

The visual arts are a common method of expressing one’s artistic abilities. This may include drawing, painting, collaging or any number of digital art designs. This method is popular because the materials are easy to find, but also because the concept is simple while the art itself can be as complex as a person desires.

Performance art is another widespread artistic release. Performance art may include singing, dancing, playing a musical instrument, acting in a play or musical or a number of other performative modes of expression. Live performance art is for those who are brave enough to express their craft with people watching.

The literary arts are for those who are gifted with words. This usually involves some form of creative writing, but can arguably extend to essay, article and other forms of writing as well. Putting work into creating a piece of writing that you are proud of can be enormously rewarding and can help you gain self-awareness.

The culinary arts are a favorite among foodies. Putting thought, skill and artistic flare into cooking can result in true masterpieces, or simply a delicious, savory meal. Many people swear by cooking as their most valuable stress release during the week.

Of course, these are not the only art forms available to people in their spare time. Art is very diverse and an artistic process can be found in many areas of life.


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Self-Expression Through Art

self expression artArt is a universal language. Whether you fell in love with art creation when you were very young, or whether you have recently discovered its rewards as an adult, you know that art is one of the greatest means of self-expression. This is because art can communicate our thoughts and ideas in ways that other expressive outlets, such as verbal communication, fall short of doing. Art projects have been known to assist in the treatment of mental disorders and addiction by allowing the individual total freedom and creative control of their project in order to sort through their thoughts. When it is used purely for self-expression and therapeutics, there is no need for any particular level of talent or ability.

An art project can be focused on content or style, depending on the artist’s objective. A content focused piece of art is something that can be interpreted for a specific meaning. For example, if the artist creates an image of a homeless man being snubbed by a wealthy man, the art’s content is clearly aimed at the injustices of homelessness. But if the piece contains no recognizable images and centers on colors or shapes, the artist was being more stylistic. This can also be thought of as the difference between abstract and literal art.

Art can be emotional or philosophical. If someone has a bad day and they approach their canvas to release emotion, more than likely they will not approach their art project in a regimented, developed way, but rather in a completely spontaneous way. If someone conceives an art project over time and plans their execution of it, they are taking a more philosophical approach to art.

Art can be created through the use of a traditional medium or a non-traditional one. A traditional medium can be thought of as pencils, paints and pastels. A non-traditional medium can be practically any kind of material the artist can manipulate. There is a famous, modern piece of art that is simply a domestic iron with spikes glued to it.

 



Addict Art Gallery

Below are some examples of public art created by people recovering from addiction. Some of them are clearly of a high skill level. This is no coincidence. Addicts tend to be very high functioning people when they are taking their recovery seriously. The addict’s mind seeks out extremes in order to stay stimulated. When its energy is being channeled in a healthy direction, the person is capable of great feats. When they are distracted and held back by addiction, their energy is channeled to an unhealthy place. The beauty of the art pieces that come from rehab clients and addiction treatment center patients speaks to the talent and potential of addicts everywhere who need support and encouragement.

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