Argumentative Art Therapy

When I was in eighth grade I was pursuing my dream of being an artist and was abruptly striped of all support and encouragement in that aspect of my life. I was told that art held no future for me and that pursuing such interests was a waste of time and money. This sufficiently broke my heart and instilled within me the belief that creativity held no purpose in life unless you were gifted within it. After being prompted to find a research topic to go with this situation my eyes were opened to the idea that creativity in an adolescents life could hold a deeper purpose and could actually differentiate between success and complacency. It is becoming increasingly important for individuals to be creative in their adult life. “When your child becomes

It has been proven as a viable and beneficial way of treating and over time healing young children. One of the many advantages of participating in art therapy is “Art created within the context of a therapeutic relationship is intended to help young clients not only to engage in self-exploration, it also involves purposeful meaning-making through specific art making” (Malchiodi). It can sometimes be very difficult for a child to articulate their opinions but with the aid of art therapy they have the tools and guidance to express themselves in the way that they want to. Even in children with illnesses and disorders such as ADHD and autism art therapy has been proven to be beneficial both mentally and scholastically. It is described in the article How Art Therapy Tames Impulsivity, Distractibility, and Anxiety that “Art therapy uses the processes of drawing, painting, and sculpting to help children address emotional problems, develop interpersonal skills, manage behavior, reduce stress, and increase self-awareness” (Nelson). The article goes on to explain that art has been proven to generate a relaxation response and can overall improve the child’s mood. Creative activity is linked to the increased production of serotonin, when serotonin is not present depression usually is. Playing with clay for a few minutes works much more sufficiently at reducing stress hormones than squeezing a stress ball. These things may seem little to those without mental illness but these kinds of things can be crucial to those with