Therapeutic BENEFITS OF ART

By Adult & Community Education – Collier County –

Art is more than meets the eye.   There are various uses for art with regards to healing, but the benefits may surprise you if you have never heard of art as a form of therapy.

Art is unique due to the utilization of the creative process and having a low barrier to entry (anyone can be creative in some form or another). Art can be therapeutic especially to those less capable or less comfortable expressing themselves via words. While art can benefit those of us who find it difficult to be expressive, the truth is anyone can benefit from participating in artistic projects or classes.

The Benefits of Creating Art For The Average Person
By expressing yourself through art, you can often find new things about yourself. It is amazing how therapeutic being crafty can be sometimes. In addition to providing a positive activity and maybe unearthing hidden talents, art can help people relax, increase manual dexterity, and improve brain function and critical thinking skills. If you are going through a difficult time art can serve as an expressive outlet that can help you process emotions and feelings that you are struggling with, so you can begin healing.

It is this idea of self-exploration that can often lead a person to some insightful conclusions about themself. It is often through this nonverbal form of communication that people find freedom of expression. Do not be surprised if the effects of art lead to a general sense of relief and overall better mental health.

Art can be an independent activity or something you can do socially with other people. It is truly a beautiful thing when you are sharing art in an open, friendly, and loving environment with other people that are on the same wave.

The Benefits of Creative Art for People With More Serious Disorders
Without going into the details of all the possibilities, let us just say that art as therapy can benefit a wide-spectrum of disorders, diseases, and disabilities.
Art can help improve various mental and physical symptoms including, but not limited to, reducing pain, anxiety, and tension. It can be beneficial to those who have mental disorders, cancer, have been victims of abuse, suffer from post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD), people who are bipolar, and a variety of other serious ailments.

Participating in art classes can be an amazing solution for people with social issues. The benefits of art as therapy in these types of situations can help with people that are withdrawn or shy, or who, for some reason or another, have a difficult time functioning within social situations.

The benefits of art as therapy can be quite broad. It can enhance lives by helping people improve their mental, emotional, and even physical states. It can raise the quality of life for many people, and it is worth considering if it can aid you in some way or another.

Taking an art class, starting a creative project, learning something new or refining an art skill, however you participate; the benefits make it worth exploring.

When life stresses you, immerse yourself in Art! Open a whole new world of creativity. You will awaken the talent you never knew you had. Classes start the week of 10/29/12

COLLAGE AND ASSEMBLAGE: Use your imaginations along with a variety of materials to create 2 or 3 dimensional works of art. Thursdays 6:30-8:30pm

CONTEMPORARY/ABSTRACT FUN WITH ACRYLIC, BEGINNING: Discover the unbelievable fun of creating abstraction with acrylic paints. Paint your thoughts on canvas and everyday objects. Tuesdays 3:30-5:30pm or Thursdays 6:30-8:30pm

DRAWING: Develop the skill of drawing what you see, not what you know. Learn about shapes, shading, contour drawing, negative space and more. Drawing level 1, Wednesdays 3:45-5:45pm or 6:30-8:30pm. Drawing level 2, Tuesdays 4:30 – 6:30pm

LIFE DRAWING: Create drawings based on in-class observations of live models (clothed). Obtain the basic skills of drawing the human form (head and figure) and fundamental exercises in gesture, contour, outline, and tonal modeling. Wednesdays 6:30-8:30pm

OIL PAINTING: Become familiar with paint mixing and application techniques and will work on projects that help them understand the paint’s properties. Beginner, Tuesdays 6:30-8:30pm or Intermediate level, Mondays 6:30 – 8:30pm

POTTERY: A hands-on course designed for beginner through advanced potters. Complete at least four finished projects. Wednesdays 3:00-5:30pm or Wednesdays 6:00-8:30pm

WATERCOLOR: This course is designed for beginners and for those who want to review the basics. A painting will be completed during each class. Beginner, Wednesdays 6:30-8:30pm or Thursdays 3:30-5:30pm or Intermediate, Wednesdays 3:30 – 5:30pm

All art classes meet one day per week for 6 weeks at the Barron Collier H.S.

There are two easy ways to register for classes: ON-LINE and ON-SITE. ON-LINE: Pre-register before the session starts by visiting www.CollierAdultEd.com. ON-SITE: register and pay, by check or cash, in the classroom with the teacher at the beginning of the first class. For more information, contact the Adult & Community Education Office at (239) 377-1234.

ADULT AND COMMUNITY EDUCATION
Try New Things!

239-377-1234
www.collieradulted.com