Art therapy is becoming increasingly popular as a way to relieve stress, release emotion, and express oneself. According to a recent report from The New Paper, letting go of the art that they create can also be beneficial for patients. Discover five ways that art destruction can actually be beneficial for patients with poor mental health in Singapore.
1. You can blend art with other activities.
A young meditation instructor and yoga teacher, Kathy Gabriel, plays with new ways to combine art and activity. In her classes, students create mandalas made from flowers, flower parts, and stones. The colours and the creative process allow each individual to make something meaningful for him or her. But the disposability and movability of the art makes it easier to combine it with other practices, such as yoga. Exercise is well-known to be a mood-booster and stress reliever, so it pairs well with the art.
2. You are free to self-express.
When you know that your art project is not going to be a permanent one, you immediately feel a greater sense of freedom in the creative process. Ms Gabriel explains that her sessions are guided, but “the process is very much as fluid as each person wants it to be. It can depend on how they are feeling on the day, what colours they are drawn to, what chakras are open or closed and what themes they are working on.”
3. You can be in the moment with the art you create.
After Ms Gabriel’s students complete their flower mandalas, they meditate for 20 minutes. They can think about their art, what it means to them, or any of the suggested meditations provided by the class leader.
4. You learn to let go.
Following the meditative session, Ms Gabriel encourages her students to destroy their works. They do not take photos or record them in any other way except through memory. According to her, this practice teaches her students “how to enjoy seeing things as they are, to enjoy the moment as it is and not get attached to it.”
5. You feel a sense of release.
Destroying the work of art not only teaches students to let go of something beautiful; it also helps them feel a certain relief or release. What was in existence is gone; something new can begin in its place.
Traditional Art Therapy in Singapore
Other types of art therapy involve more traditional methods, in which you create and keep your art pieces. However, even students of traditional art therapy are free to destroy their creations later, if they like. The acts of creation and destruction complete a cycle, closing out a chapter of life and opening the way to something new. For people suffering from anxiety, trauma, addictive behaviours, or depression, these simple actions can be extremely powerful.
To find out more about art therapy programs in Singapore, visit Adelphi Psych Medicine Clinic. You can consult with a skilled psychiatrist in Singapore, learn more about your mental health, and find out how to improve it with talk therapy, art therapy, and other treatments.
News Feed from Adelphi Psych Medicine Clinic
The New Paper, 10 May 2017
