Read: The Proven Benefits of Art

In 2000, when Kimberly Gibson, an art therapist, began working at the Strong Memorial Children’s Hospital in Rochester, New York, she was assigned to aid a 15-year-old girl through her recovery from an eating disorder, which had hospitalized her. The end goal: stabilize the patient then enroll her in an outreach program.

“I went in and talked to her, I brought art supplies with me. I asked her to paint a bridge, to think of her recovery journey as a bridge, and to draw where she’s at,” says Gibson.

The bridge, which represented the past, present, and future, had one foot drawn on it. The girl was contemplating, through drawing, whether or not to commit to her recovery process.  

Gibson continued to see her for a few more sessions before she met with the girl’s doctor to review her case. While looking through the strict eating plan and weigh-ins, she asked Gibson baseline questions regarding her work with the teen and if there was anything she wanted to share. Gibson took out the drawing of the bridge and explained how the patient was reluctant towards starting the recovery process.

Bewildered, the doctor looked at Gibson. She then proceeded to explain how the young girl has been telling the medical team she’s ready to go, she’s ready for the recovery process, and will work on overcoming her eating disorder.

““They were so blown away by what her artwork showed and how she truly felt,” says Gibson. “She was telling them what they wanted to hear. One, because they’re doctors and they’re older, and second, they hold the key to her getting out of the hospital.”
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For the first time, these doctors understood that art was more than just crafts, that it was instead a window into the mind of a person who is struggling. The doctor realized art was telling the true story.

Art is honest. It unknowingly makes you tap into your deepest thoughts and feelings. Unlike words, which can be rehearsed and memorized like a script, art expresses one's truest beliefs or desires. However, to sit with one's own thoughts and emotions is no easy task. As a society surrounded by technology and electronic devices, we tend to distract ourselves from situations, especially those which challenge us physically or emotionally. 

For similar reasons, Gibson encourages patients in her group art therapy sessions to quietly sit with their thoughts, to allow themselves the time to figure out what they want to express and how they want to do so. “I really try to explain to them like, okay, this is your time, right? To really check in with yourself and to really kind of settle in because there's a benefit to really focusing on something or giving yourself time and space,” says Gibson.

Examples of art pieces from Kimberly Gibson’s website.

The increasing awareness of art therapy has researchers encouraging medical professionals to incorporate art into their patients' treatments. In a 2009 study by Frances Reynolds and Sarah Prior, about half of the women who participated in their enquiry identified art as being beneficial. For these women, art helped them feel more fluid, work through emotions, maintain a positive identity, and enabled the expression of grief. On a similar note, a 2006 study by Deirdre Heenan, found that an art therapy program was credited by participants in helping improve their self-esteem and self-confidence. By addressing mental health in a supportive and positive environment, artistic practices can, as well, lead to people’s involvement in other creative programs. 

Focusing solely on the details one incorporates into their art and being in the moment, helps patients’ brains not get caught up in the anxieties of the “what if’s.” As seen in the aforementioned story, given the safe space to slow down, Gibson’s patient focused on her mental state instead of worrying about leaving the hospital.

While there are many benefits to incorporating art in treatments and recovery programs, art’s self-expressive nature extends outside the medical field. The act of making art, even the simplest drawing tasks, offer a great deal of possibilities for an individual to work through any emotion or situation they may encounter in their life. For many artists this process, as well, has connected them with a specific art style they feel best represents them.  

In self-expression, one must not worry about having a lack of artistic expertise. As written in the Handbook of Art Therapy “all individuals have the capacity to express themselves creatively.”

Photo credits Goodreads.