As if there isn’t enough going on at the moment, I’ve just begun a diploma in Art Therapy. Now, I’ve no specific desire to become an art therapist, but I realised that so much of what we do as artists and creatives is about making people feel. Helping people to connect with the parts of them that experience emotions or process big ideas. The deeper the messages contained within our work, the more carefully we must tread when taking audiences and participants on creative journeys with us. This got me thinking about why some people make art and why some feel it isn’t for them. At the very heart of all of our work is connection; be it to creativity or to other people, but also integral to that is accessibility and the desire to open up opportunities for everyone, no matter what their lived experiences. We’re always learning and developing, so it is for this reason that I decided to do some studying, to underpin my practice with a deeper understanding of how creative pursuits can benefit us all. What follows is a potted history of the beginnings of art therapy to where we are now. I think it is important to realise that for so many, art is the key to consciously processing and healing, but it can of course have subconscious, therapeutic benefits for everyone.
Art therapy blends creativity and psychology, helping clients to express inner thoughts non-verbally. The history of art therapy has three main phases and was formalised as a profession in the 20th Century, yet the combination of art and psychology spans 300 years. Art therapy has long been used in rehabilitation of medical conditions as well as in psychiatry, and is used as insight into the relation between body and mind. In the 19th and 20th Century, many writers such as Freud, Kris and Rush began investigating possibilities of using art in the treatment of mental illness. Soon the term ‘art therapy’ began to describe a form of psychotherapy where creative practices were integral to the treatment. Progressive educators at this point placed huge emphasis on the role that creativity and art could play in early child development.
In the middle of the 20th Century, people began using the term ‘art therapy’ although there was no official training for it back then. These pioneers were trained in other disciplines but working alongside mentors in the field of psychiatry and mental health. The four most prominent writers in developing the field of art therapy were, Margaret Naumberg, Edith Kramer, Hanna Kwiatkowska, and Elinor Ulman.
Known to many as ‘The Mother of Art Therapy’, Naumberg’s ‘dynamically oriented art therapy’ was considered similar to the psychoanalytic practices of that time, drawing on the works of Jung and Freud. Kramer’s approach of ‘art as therapy’ drew on the teachings of Freud’s personality theory but focused more on the therapeutic potential of the art making process. She worked in educational settings on the practice of creativity within therapeutic schools of the time. Ulman worked more as a writer and editor and was adept at making highly complex ideas accessible. In 1961 she published The Bulletin of Art Therapy and she wrote a comparison of Naumberg and Kramer’s theories which helped to provide an in depth study of these two schools of thought. Kwiatowska made a considerable contribution to the field in her research around family therapy and her books became the go to for working with families through art and creative practice.
By the mid 1980s, a wide number of publications with a broader range of perspectives began being published but the influence of psychoanalysis remained. Two journals, ‘Art Psychotherapy’ and ‘Art Therapy: Journal of the American Art Therapy Association’ made huge contributions to the development of literature in the field. The increase in publications and the beginnings of a more formalised practice helped to raise the profile of therapists at this time. Art therapy literature continues to be developed and there are now hundreds of works available. The book, Approaches To Art Therapy by Judith Rubin details the wide range of perspectives held by art therapists currently practicing. These range from psychodynamic and humanistic approaches to educational and developmental approaches.
Whilst art as a form of expression and social communication has been around for around 40,000 years, art as a form of therapy has only been around since the 1940s, making it a relatively young and ever evolving practice. Prior to this, art had developed into a medium for self expression and symbolism.
The discipline of art as a therapeutic tool grew independently in America and Europe and in the UK, artist Adrian Hill was integral to the rise of art as therapy, even coining the term, ‘Art Therapy’ in 1942. Whilst he was being treated for tuberculosis, he suggested to his fellow patients that they might take part in art projects, and he writes about this and his experiences of working as an art therapist in his book, ‘Art Versus Illness’. Artist Edward Adamson helped to expand upon Hill’s work and they worked together to introduce a method of working to long term patients in a psychiatric hospital in Surrey. After this time, Adamson created a studio where patients could make creative work freely, in a non-interventionist style therapy. Patients were encouraged to create art for self expression as opposed to for psychological interpretation.
With regard to the work created at places such as this, there is of course the question of ethics when it comes to exhibiting or public display of patients’ artwork. Should they be considered outsider art or do they actually form a part of clinical records? Many of the pieces that Adamson collected over his career are now on display at the Wellcome Library.
The British Association of Art Therapists defines Art Therapy as a form of psychotherapy to treat a wide range of diagnoses. Creating art can increase awareness of self and others, help people cope with their symptoms, reduce stress from trauma and enhance cognitive abilities and motor skills. Studies have shown that art therapy can also be incredibly useful to patients with memory loss, cognitive dysfunction, brain injury and depression.
The positive effects of art and creativity on our wellbeing are no secret. The only issue for me continues to be around access. So I will be using what I learn and taking what I already know to continue advocating for more support and accessibility in high quality creative opportunities for everyone. Because nothing should preclude anyone from enhancing their mental health and wellbeing.
