Art Therapy and Life Transitions
May I have the courage today to live life that I would love.
To postpone my dream no longer
But do at last what I came here for
And waste my heart on fear no more.
John O’Donohue
Life transitions, whether planned or unplanned, often awaken in us such strong emotions as grief (due to loss of the past), anxiety in the anticipation of the future, and displacement (from feeling lost in between). Life changes are inevitable, but how we deal with them can snowball into many diagnoses.
Irish people are famous for their resilience, thinking on their feet, and humour when dealing with the unexpected. Art therapy combines creativity and emotional support. It is a great match to dealing with adversities Irish way: with an open mind, with a bit of laughter, sometimes through tears.
When a life transition happens unexpectedly, we could start experiencing some physiological symptoms such as high blood pressure, indigestion, nightmares, and muscle pain. Surprisingly, most of those symptoms can be alleviated through regular art therapy, which is a non-invasive, non-chemical treatment for anxiety, depression, and grief.
W.B. Yeats, during his life, struggled with depression and, through creativity, learned to maintain health and continue working. Louis le Brocquy called art his life-long sustaining force. Art is a proven method of dealing with stress that accompanies life changes.
Change, by Wendy Videlock
Change is the new,
improved word for god,
lovely enough to raise a song
or implicate a sea of wrongs,
mighty enough,
like other gods,
to shelter,
bring together,
and estrange us.
Please, god, we seem to say,
change us.
Art - feeling lost
When we start working on life transitions, the questions we ask during art therapy sessions are: what is the most important for you, what are your values, what guides you? Without understanding the values and goals, there is no way to see the future or move forward healthily.
During an art therapy session, I might ask you to create (paint, use clay, or work with found objects) and express that character that upholds those values and qualities. We would explore this personality and get to know it better. The character that holds those values would be the one who can take you to another point in your journey. By recognizing your strength, your vision, and your powers, you can create a path to a new future.
I had a client who left her job to start her own business. It was nerve-racking; she put everything on the table to get her enterprise going. But when it was time to promote herself, she froze. She could not pass the threshold of her new beginning. She became depressed, felt at a loss, and was guilty for not working. She felt powerless and lost. Art therapy helped her to distinguish between her success and the success of her enterprise; empower her and create clarity. With slow steps, she was able to concentrate on moving forward with her business and accept her new role as an entrepreneur.
Client’s art
“Finding a way to move forward.”
If you are amid changes and feeling scared, lost, frustrated, guilty, stressed before trying medication, try art therapy – a gentle way of dealing with stress, anxiety and depression.