Being a musician for most of my life, I have always understood the connection between my craft and the ability to express emotion through music. As many of you know I didn’t come to the career of counseling in a straight-line path. My Bachelor’s degree was in music, and although I worked as a music educator, I didn’t pursue a music education degree. Instead, I pursued a degree in music composition.
It was only after getting married and raising children, that music education seemed a viable path to provide added income to my family. Teaching in public education full-time allowed me to be a “hands-on” parent to my kids.
Later in life, I pursued counseling. And that’s where I began to read the research related to this topic. Artistic expression isn’t just defined in music. It can be drawing, painting, creative writing, sculpting, dancing, i.e., anything that enriches your life and allows for the expression of emotion.
You don’t necessarily have to be of “professional quality,” with your art. One former President of the United States has found painting to be very therapeutic after a life-long career in politics!
How can artistic expression affect mental health outcomes? Well, one of the first and most obvious benefits lies in the practice of self-care. Research has long proven that those of us who engage in regular self-care activities, have better mental health outcomes over the lifespan.
I have one dear friend who turned 93 this past year. She’s lived through the worst pandemic we’ve seen globally in the past 100 years, by engaging in her art. She’s a prolific knitter and leather worker. Instead of bemoaning the plight of being quarantined for months on end in her assisted-living apartment, she set out to create some of the best pieces she’s made.
A second benefit of engaging in art, is found in the ability to express emotion. While it can be difficult to identify emotions and process them, artistic expression allows for the natural processing of emotions during engagement. How many of us have watched a movie, then hear how the actor portraying a character says the experience changed them?
Or in viewing a painting, hear about the artist’s reasoning as to why the piece was painted? In my own musical experiences, I’ve sat down at the piano numerous times throughout the years, and written something as an expression of emotion (and no, none of them are published).
If you haven’t explored what particular artistic expression you find meaningful to you, it’s never too late (remember the US President). You do not have to be naturally gifted, but you do need to find the activity rewarding in some way. While I’ve listed a few of the possibilities, I’m sure there’s many more out there. I encourage you to explore this topic as an aid to your own personal therapeutic journey.
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