Art and Pain Relief, Art as a Place to be Oneself

View larger Manipulated Color Play - Digital Painting 2006 

Yesterday or the day before, I came across an article which struck both as an important realization and also something obvious.  That art might be useful in the reduction of pain and in self realization does not seem particularly new to me.  That such results are not tied to the results of the artwork but rather the process itself also seems like a given. But then again, I create a lot. I recognize the difference in processes. Certain things yield different types of results.

For instance, what one gains by a free flowing kind of art vs a controlled intentional type of art are different. But either way, the process  gives results whether the finished piece results in anything worthwhile or not.

The connection with the article which in some ways seemed delightfully obvious to me - is that I had just finished a piece which I approached with abandon. I wanted the feeling of painting - seeing the colors overlap - finding joy in the movement itself - yes moving the mouse quickly with a flourish is quite enjoyable to me - no corrections just flowing - and then play with the medium - flipping things and turning sections and copying and pasting and then selecting another area and moving it just so.

A great deal of fun and refuge and meditation - I like the results, but then again I wasn’t trying and I am ok with changing my mind about it.

See Also

• ABC News: Better Living Through The Arts
  Discussion of pain relief and therapy through the artistic process
• American Pain Foundation | Pain Monsters: Art Therapy and Chronic Pain
  Art, Chronic Pain, and History
• The Healing Art: Patient, Express Thyself
  The Language and Beauty of Art in Relationship to Pain Relief