Before anything else, “How are you doing during this quarantine period?”

Many of us find artistic expression as a form of relaxation and enjoyment. But more than that, several studies suggest that ‘art’ as a form of ‘therapy’ plays a valuable factor in treating anxieties, depression, and even post-traumatic stress disorder. In fact ‘art therapy’ in psychology, is defined as the “use of artistic methods to treat psychological disorders and enhance mental health.”

According to the American Art Therapy Association, art therapy is an approach to mental health that “utilizes the process of creating art to improve mental, physical, and emotional wellness.” This method is being used to help people develop their self-awareness, explore their emotions, increase their self-esteem, cope with stress, and even work on their social skills. In my personal experience, painting and drawing have helped me deal with my negative thoughts and anxiety. While we are experiencing this global pandemic caused by Covid-19, creating arts is one of the productive activities we can do while staying at home.

Art in various forms provides an avenue to be creative and expressive and it comes with mental health benefits. These include the following:

1. Self-discovery. Looking into a person’s subconscious to determine and acknowledge feelings through creativity.

2. Self-esteem. Creating arts such as completing a sculpture or writing a song provides a feeling of self-accomplishment that can boost your self-appreciation and confidence.

3. Releasing Emotions. Art can be a healthy outlet to express or release one’s feelings and even fears. Sometimes we are not capable of releasing our emotions especially through words but we can express through drawing or singing a song.

4. Stress relief. Arts are very helpful in relieving stress and as a tool to relax your mind and body.

For this article, allow me to share some of my paintings during this quarantine period.

Meanwhile, this one is still unfinished. 🙂