The act of art making and creative expression is a great way to relieve stress by bringing your entire self into the present moment. Your artistic expression becomes a symbol that can inform, comfort and empower you while providing new and inspiring perspectives.
About Art TherapyArt making is a powerful way to express thoughts and feelings that may otherwise go unnoticed. As we explore working with mediums such as pastel, paint, collage, we are called to use our body, our hands, to shape and give form to our experiences. It allows us the opportunity to slip out of the roles we play and surrender to the creative process. The simple act of art making is a great way to relieve stress and bring your entire self into the present moment as your art becomes a symbol that can inform, empower and provide invaluable new perspectives. The therapeutic value of art making can be experienced in many ways as it asks us to fully engage with the present moment. Using our creativity allows us to explore our imagination. Looking beyond the usual stories we tell ourselves, we are able to find uplifting and inspiring new ways of seeing and being in the world.
How can Art Therapy help? Our art becomes a symbol that can provide comfort, healing and inspiration in times of loss and instability. Through a gentle therapeutic enquiry we are guided to contemplate our art and uncover its many meanings that are personal and relevant to us. It allows us another way to engage deeply with our inner world as the artistic expression becomes an extension of who we are. It is here that we can begin to connect with our feelings, hopes and desires and pave the way for new ideas that support healthy change. Our art can become the bridge between what is felt within us but not yet spoken as we explore the colour, shapes, lines and form of what we have made. The long standing therapeutic benefits of art therapy have been well documented in supporting children, teenagers, adults and individuals in need of physical, emotional and/or substance-abuse related rehabilitation. Art therapy can be found in settings such as hospitals, not for profit organisations, schools and correctional facilities serving people with special needs, the elderly and areas of mental health and well being. Art therapy has become a vital tool which supports the rebuilding and reshaping of our sense of self as we give our art a voice. It is in this experience that you are able to share your stories, be seen, heard and validated as your creative expression is witnessed by another. I acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which I am privileged to work, live and create, the Wurundjeri peoples of the Kulin Nation. I pay their respects to elders past, present and emerging. |
"The path of art making asks you to act on faith. In taking a stance of not-knowing, you trust the process, accept that what you are creating is right for you in the moment, and have faith that the universe supports your creative source." 
Me and my beloved cavoodle, Bowie during a winters day in Melbourne during lockdown, Victoria, 2020.
"And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was greater than the risk it took to bloom." 
Art work by Mel Nelson-Campbell, 2016
Titled: 'Free to Move' |
