Sensory healing with Art

Art is one of the oldest forms of communication and self-expression. Even in the earliest days of our world, humans created works of art, first in the form of cave paintings and later in less “primitive” manners. Art has always been used to help tell a story.

But it has also been used to heal.  Art therapy is a form of psychotherapy that can be used in a therapeutic setting using a variety of art materials such as drawing, painting, sculpting, collage, and writing.

Creative art therapy can also help empower someone working through their fears and those who wish to feel more in control of their lives. It can raise self-esteem, help people express themselves better, and gain a better insight on their lives.

Anything with colour and texture gets my creative juices flowing. I love cooking and working with food, so that was one healthy creative outlet I drowned myself in. The other outlet turned out to be using art as a form of therapy. I had all these old pieces of costume jewellery and trinkets I didn’t know what to do with. I found an old bird cage (pictured above) and a lamp shade (pictured below), and used that to display these pieces I never wanted to get rid of. Most of us keep our little collectables in a box, not knowing what to do with them. So stringing them from an old lampshade is a beautiful way to bring a little sunshine into a dark corner. If you’re the artsy type of course!

A few years ago, I had the pleasure of attending Afrikaburn – art in the dessert (pictured below – that’s me in the orange top). Now if that wasn’t a pleasurable permeation of my senses, nothing would ever be. It’s an unforgettable sensory experience, of delicious wholesome food, abundant wine, soulful music, unabashed dance, a myriad of colour, wacky art, playful touch, dessert heat, child-like play and time for quiet contemplation.  

Whether you’re a painter, a writer or a seamstress, being creative offers an enduring source of quiet contemplation, enabling us to still our minds and become calmly aware of the present moment. From acceptance to freedom, from happiness to love.  And that’s the ultimate place to be. In unconditional love.

So come to your senses. Learn to love yourself again.