Healing through art: The therapeutic benefits of creativity

We've all heard how engaging in creative tasks can allow time in our lives for mindfulness, requiring focus and presence; and how it can reduce stress and anxiety; promoting a state of flow, where individuals are fully immersed in their activity. But, beyond that, the creative process can help us get in contact with our deepest selves. It's a profound process that allows us to engage with our inner selves and the world around us in new and transformative ways. 

As Carl Jung put it: 

“The creative process, so far as we are able to follow it at all, consists in the unconscious activation of an archetypal image, and in elaborating and shaping this image into the finished work. By giving it shape, the artist translates it into the language of the present, and so makes it possible for us to find our way back to the deepest springs of life.” 

This transformation through creativity is central to its therapeutic potential. Creativity requires us to confront the unknown - one of the hardest things humanity grapples with. Tolerating the unknown is something that helps us navigate life's unpredictabilities with greater ease and confidence.

Having a creative outlet provides a safe space to express our emotions and then explore and play with these feelings. In a creative space, contradictory emotions can lie side by side. They can overlap and layer our different (sometimes deeply conflicting) ideas and experiences, leading to new perspectives and insights, allowing for a more nuanced and individualised understanding of self.

Author and artist Shaun McNiff believes that “Nothing creative exists in complete isolation” and that creativity is inherently 'interactive'. This interaction, whether with materials, the environment, or other people, opens up new potential for connecting with oneself and others. Art, in this way, provides an opportunity to express emotions that might have been previously held inside, addressing the fundamental human need to express oneself authentically.

As artist Marion Miller stated, creativity helps us achieve “Every human being’s central need to express herself, to show herself to the world as she really is.” An act of creation, then, is an act of engaging with the world, helping us ground ourselves and relate to others. The shared experience of creativity fosters community and empathy, bridging gaps and building stronger social bonds.

Another of the profound ways creativity can heal is through the encouragement of the imagination. Imagination serves as a 'middle realm' or bridge, as McNiff suggests, where the relationship between the self and the world can be played out. In this space, past events can be re-framed, and problems and fears can be approached in new, innovative ways.

Peter Levine, the developer of Somatic Experiencing®, states that the development of an imaginative capacity is where the “power of art to heal” stems from. Imagination allows individuals to explore possibilities, experiment with new identities, and envision a future free from the constraints of current challenges. 

Now more than ever is an ideal time to recognise and celebrate the therapeutic power of the creative process. By engaging in creative activities, whatever that may look like, we can improve our mental and emotional health, strengthen social connections, and build a more resilient and vibrant community. Whether you're painting, writing, or joining a community choir, embracing creativity can lead to a richer, more fulfilling life.