Community Art Making: A Brief Summary
Van Lith utilized a longitudinal, multiple case study approach to her evidence based research into how art making is used as a recovery tool for change and coping with adults diagnosed with various serious and chronic mental health illnesses. Participants of the research were selected from two participating rehabilitation facilities and was comprised of both men and women ages twenty to late fifties; whom had participated in community arts based therapy services for various lengths of time and all had different levels of artistic abilities and interests in art making. Van Lith conducted a series of three one and a half hour-long interviews at six-month intervals with each of the twelve participants over the course of one year. In the interviews, she had the participants use an assessment tool, discuss the art they created in the previous six months at their art therapy programs through symbolic meaning making and discuss their overall art making experiences. From such interviews, an interpretative phenomenological thematic analysis was created and then validated and verified by each participant once over the course of the study
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and once after the study was completed. In her article, Van Lith found four main themes that supported her hypothesis that art making is an effective means to cope with mental illnesses and act as a motivation for change in recovery treatment. Connection to inner self was a discovered theme throughout the study amongst participants.
The similarity of mindfulness was attached to this theme as the research noted how many immersed them selves into the art making that it took on meditative properties in which either all thought focused on the art making process or there was unconscious expressions of self that may have otherwise been difficult to express in verbal psychotherapy. Psychological safe spaces were another theme noted in the research data. Art making allowed many participants to go to a place where they felt safe from their symptoms, allowed for the expression of thoughts in a safe and healthy manner to be processed. Art making also allowed for participants to create an image of a safe place that they could visually see and mentally go to and feel a part
of.
Art making as a motivational force when unwell was the third main theme discovered in this article. Art making became a trusty coping strategy for many of the participants that was used both in a therapeutic setting and in their own personal settings as well. It became a healthy outlet for them to express themselves or how they were feeling if needed to on their own time. The last main theme included sense of mastery or a developed sense of achievement. Concentration and attentiveness to symptoms assisted in the sense of mastery. Participants were noted as having worked through various symptoms such as hand shaking, and flashbacks and utilized their symptoms in a creative manner. The focus on conceptual planning and utilization of problem solving skills assisted participants in creating their art the way they envisioned it to be. This allowed the participants to take pride in their final art pieces to the point where they wanted to display and show others their art rather than shy away from doing so Art therapy and the process of art making are validated in its use as a change mechanism for people with serious and mental health illnesses to promote and aid in continued recovery in treatment. Art making allowed for participants to create a dialogue with their artwork, connect with it emotionally and create newly developed insight of themselves and their illnesses. This use of art making as a change mechanism increased their intrapersonal awareness. Art making also provided the motivation and reassurance that change is possible by being a platform for the participants to explore and cope with stressors.
Art therapy and art making as a coping tool allows for participants overtime to feel comfortable with the process and be knowledgeable enough to create when they need to on their own time and benefit from that experience. Art making as a coping tool also allowed for participants to reduce symptom occurrence and cope with stressors effectively by the sense of relief experienced from the process and from the insight gained by reflecting and processing the art piece and their experience. The art making process allows for interpersonal awareness in which others can interpret from the final product and create connections to their own experiences in a healthful and beneficial manner in order to gain their own insight.
and once after the study was completed. In her article, Van Lith found four main themes that supported her hypothesis that art making is an effective means to cope with mental illnesses and act as a motivation for change in recovery treatment. Connection to inner self was a discovered theme throughout the study amongst participants.
The similarity of mindfulness was attached to this theme as the research noted how many immersed them selves into the art making that it took on meditative properties in which either all thought focused on the art making process or there was unconscious expressions of self that may have otherwise been difficult to express in verbal psychotherapy. Psychological safe spaces were another theme noted in the research data. Art making allowed many participants to go to a place where they felt safe from their symptoms, allowed for the expression of thoughts in a safe and healthy manner to be processed. Art making also allowed for participants to create an image of a safe place that they could visually see and mentally go to and feel a part
of.
Art making as a motivational force when unwell was the third main theme discovered in this article. Art making became a trusty coping strategy for many of the participants that was used both in a therapeutic setting and in their own personal settings as well. It became a healthy outlet for them to express themselves or how they were feeling if needed to on their own time. The last main theme included sense of mastery or a developed sense of achievement. Concentration and attentiveness to symptoms assisted in the sense of mastery. Participants were noted as having worked through various symptoms such as hand shaking, and flashbacks and utilized their symptoms in a creative manner. The focus on conceptual planning and utilization of problem solving skills assisted participants in creating their art the way they envisioned it to be. This allowed the participants to take pride in their final art pieces to the point where they wanted to display and show others their art rather than shy away from doing so Art therapy and the process of art making are validated in its use as a change mechanism for people with serious and mental health illnesses to promote and aid in continued recovery in treatment. Art making allowed for participants to create a dialogue with their artwork, connect with it emotionally and create newly developed insight of themselves and their illnesses. This use of art making as a change mechanism increased their intrapersonal awareness. Art making also provided the motivation and reassurance that change is possible by being a platform for the participants to explore and cope with stressors.
Art therapy and art making as a coping tool allows for participants overtime to feel comfortable with the process and be knowledgeable enough to create when they need to on their own time and benefit from that experience. Art making as a coping tool also allowed for participants to reduce symptom occurrence and cope with stressors effectively by the sense of relief experienced from the process and from the insight gained by reflecting and processing the art piece and their experience. The art making process allows for interpersonal awareness in which others can interpret from the final product and create connections to their own experiences in a healthful and beneficial manner in order to gain their own insight.