VISAKHAPATNAM: Spanish painter Pablo Picasso once said, “Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life”. The practice of this can be found at the forefront of people’s lives post the outbreak of Covid-19.
Many people, particularly students and employees, are trying to create their own therapeutic space with art as a medium to detach themselves from the pandemic-induced stress and from risk of burnout, or just to stay calm during these testing times and also to promote spiritual well-being.
While those who have access are seeking for professional treatment from licensed therapists, many adults with various constraints and personal choices can be seen practising self-healing and turning to expressive art modalities like painting, poetry, pottery, music, dance, and various other art forms to nurse their mind, body and soul back to good health.
Experts in the field of neuroscience believe that any art form, just like meditation, has the ability to go beyond the thinking mind, further improving concentration, which is considered as the sixth limb of yoga and a prerequisite for meditation. The process of making and experiencing art is believed to create a natural synergy of the mind and the body.
Dr Bhavani, a clinical psychologist told TNIE that the idea behind indulging in art for its therapeutic properties is that it will lead to mindfulness, self-awareness and spiritual well-being. “Spiritual wellness, either consciously or unconsciously, becomes vital when dealing with emotional stress. Though the definition and practice of spirituality in modern times differs vastly from person to person, for many it is to seek the purpose and meaning of life through the way they experience connection with oneself, in the current moment, to nature or art.
When an individual experiences interconnectedness on a deeper level through self-exploration, they come in charge of their emotions, which eases their healing process. One doesn’t need to be born creative to experience the therapeutic nature of art. Art forms give a passage to release emotions even if someone tries them for the first time.”
Speaking to TNIE, a few millennials explained how tapping into their creativity worked as a transformative tool, and the kind of experience they had when they started cultivating artistic hobbies which now predominantly have a profound effect on them.
“Being able to communicate non-verbally is a powerful means of communication, I believe. When I immerse myself in painting, I feel like I’m talking to myself in a creative way, and I end up finding more about myself every time. This helps clear my mind and it just transcends time. Everything about painting feels so tranquil and therapeutic to me,” said Akoundi Mounika, a self-taught painter from Visakhapatnam.
Besides charcoal art, acrylic paintings, colour pencil and soft pastel art, she has also tried her hands at Fluid Art (acrylic paint pouring) when she experienced the meditative feel that art offers.
“I was having panic attacks this time last year. I knew being not okay is okay, but I wanted to find a solution and fix it. That’s when I took to fluid art. For me, there is nothing more soothing than seeing the bright fluids flow on a blank canvas and take shape into one-of-a-kind creation. This particular process taught me the importance of going with the flow and trusting the process in tough times.”
Divya, a student from Visakhapatnam, who developed an interest in revived art pottery recently attended a wheel thrown pottery workshop said, “Pottery is one of the few art forms wherein the artist becomes the tool in order to create. I always wanted to make art an integral part of my daily life. Getting my hands grubby, feeling the energy of clay and shaping something sustainable out of it worked like a balm on frayed nerves.
The rhythmic movements involved in pottery and their relaxing effects immediately relieves a person of his/her worries. The activity offers a way to materialise or express things which we deeply feel but can’t put into words. I will keep going back to spin the pottery wheel for the slice-of-heaven happiness it gives me,” she rejoiced.