Art and Mental Health is A Daily Priority For Us

In the U.S. May is Mental Health Awareness Month (also referred to as “Mental Health Month”). Now, more than ever, it is essential that we continue to focus on finding treatment and solutions to this widespread problem. As you know, here, at The Healing Power of ART & ARTISTS website, art and mental health is a daily priority for us since we launched this website in 2015. Every day we promote the artists, organizations, articles and exhibitions that we have been engaged in and that are aligned with our fervent belief that art is a catalyst for healing individuals, society and the planet. Here, you’ll find art and resources to enhance your feelings of well-being.

On This Website You’ll Find…
An Online Art Gallery to See Artist Members’ Artwork
Many Articles About Art in Healthcare
Information About Our Art and Healing Online Exhibitions
A Resource Directory of More than 100 Art & Healing Organizations and much more…

Here are Some Facts  and Links to Some Popular Articles about Mental Health

A Few Facts About Art and Mental Health

Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood. Resource: mentalhealth.gov

As a student I learned about the correlation between art and emotional and mental health when I served as a volunteer in a mental hospital. I recognized the positive impact art therapy had on patients. It is not a surprise that when I started curating exhibitions I chose the theme “The Healing Power of Art” and enjoyed writing articles about the topic.

Art has an impact on brain wave patterns and emotions, the nervous system, and can actually raise serotonin levels. Art can change a person’s outlook and the way they experience the world. Decades of research have provided more than a sufficient amount of data to prove that arts education impacts everything from overall academic achievement to social and emotional development and so much more.

This is a fascinating topic. Read Art Enhances Brain Function and Well-Being

Art Therapy

There are ways to communicate through art that transcend barriers and limitations and go straight to the heart of the matter. The first use of art as a therapeutic discipline was developed in the 1940′s in both the U.S. and Europe. During World War I, Red Cross volunteers and occupational therapists worked with soldiers to treat PTSD. In England, Adrian Keith Graham Hill, an artist, author, art therapist, educator and broadcaster, was the first person to refer to the therapeutic applications of art and coined the term “Art Therapy” in 1942. Want to know more about Art Therapy? Read more in this article: What is Art Therapy?

Organizations That Help those Suffering from Mental Illness

Has mental illness affected anyone you know? If so, you know the impact can be devastating for the sufferer and their loved ones. You may also know that art helps individuals with mental illness. Through the efforts of numerous non-profit organizations that incorporate art programs people battling psychological disorders have hope and ways to cope with their struggles. Organizations like these also help to raise awareness and educate the rest of the population about mental illness and remove the stigma associated with the conditions. In this article I share a few of them and their missions with you.  Find them in this article: Art Helps Victims of Mental Illness

Using Art to Deal With Trauma

For most of us our environment is generally nurturing and positive, but for some, it can be traumatic, such as experiencing horrific events in war zones or being raised in an abusive home. Art is often the healing balm that soothes these harsh realities, as well as provides long term benefits. Read more in this article: Using Art to Deal with Trauma

Visit Our Online Art Gallery to See Artist Members’ Artwork

Learn About Our Art and Healing Online Exhibitions

More than 100 Resources on this Website

There are many different art programs that serve people who are suffering from mental illness. To help you gain information and access to help we have devised a very comprehensive directory that includes more than 100 regional, national and international non-profit art and healing organizations that use art and art programs to help individuals, their communities, and society at large. They work tirelessly to advocate positive change in the world. You will find this directory here: Art & Healing Resources of Organizations & Programs