Expressing Her Soul's Palette: Exploring Art Materials and Anxiety

By Jillian Cook

Anxiety is a common mental health disorder characterized by symptoms that extend beyond what is logical worry, to feeling anxious in an unreasonable, unwarranted and uncontrollable way. Art therapy has been a proven and tested treatment for individuals suffering with anxiety disorders.

This research studies the benefits and value of art therapy and the use of art materials as a treatment for a woman experiencing extreme anxiety towards expressing herself through art and writing. The art therapist, who is also the researcher, introduced specific art materials in alignment with the artist/client's own willingness, to self-express and take her own creative risks. By following a unique qualitative approach, the research focuses on studying the lived experience of the art therapy using a methodology that integrates the following three approaches: hermeneutic phenomenology, arts-based research and poetic inquiry.

The benefits of art therapy discussed for this research study arise from the use and experimentation with the following five specific art materials: collage, chalk pastels, painting, natural materials and mask making materials. From analyzing the benefits and value of using different art materials, three distinct aspects and benefits of the therapy are explored: 1) externalizing inner feelings through physical art making, 2) positive physical contact with the art materials and art therapist and 3) pacing of art materials to increase self-confidence in expressing.