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As art curator for the project, it will be my job to organise an art competition in self expression, along with an art exhibition from an emerging artist and to coordinate a  self expression art workshop and art display by youths, in order to showcase the aesthetic of art and wellbeing.

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Displaying items by tag: art competition

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This year the Network aims to challenge entrants to consider art work that represents colours as a reflection of good mental health. The 2015 Art Competition will be held during Mental Health Week in October, and has two categories, a school section (ages 14-18) and an open section (ages 18 and over).

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(CNN) -- Celebrated Norwegian artist Edvard Munch's life was fraught with anxiety and hallucinations.

The painter, who died 70 years ago today, created one of the most recognized masterpieces in history, "The Scream", which came to him in a sinister vision as he stood on the edges of Oslofjord.

"The sun began to set - suddenly the sky turned blood red," he wrote. "I stood there trembling with anxiety - and I sensed an endless scream passing through nature."

The painting is thought to represent the angst of modern man, which Munch experienced deeply throughout his life, but saw as an indispensable driver of his art. He wrote in his diary: "My fear of life is necessary to me, as is my illness. They are indistinguishable from me, and their destruction would destroy my art."

Munch may be one of the most high profile artists to walk the line between extreme talent and torment, but he is not the only one.

Vincent van Gogh, who cut of his ear after an argument with his friend Paul Gauguin, and later killed himself, swayed heavily between genius and madness.

In a letter to his brother Theo in 1888 he wrote: "I am unable to describe exactly what is the matter with me. Now and then there are horrible fits of anxiety, apparently without cause, or otherwise a feeling of emptiness and fatigue in the head... at times I have attacks of melancholy and of atrocious remorse."

These painters' personal struggles still echo in popular culture today, and have given rise to the belief that artists are more susceptible to a range of mental illnesses, including bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.

A growing body of research suggests that there is merit to that popular assumption. Madness may lurk where creativity lies.
The dark side of creativity
Psychologists have been fascinated by the potential link for decades. The earliest and most rudimentary studies examined eminent people across fields including literature and the arts.

These studies found that creatives had an unusually high number of mood disorders. Charles Dickens, Tennessee Williams, and Eugene O'Neill all appeared to suffer from clinical depression. So too did Ernest Hemingway, Leo Tolstoy and Virginia Woolf. Sylvia Plath famously took her own life by sticking her head in an oven while her two children slept.

Critics rightly pointed out that these studies focused on very specific groups of high-achievers, and that they relied on anecdotal evidence.

Subsequent studies have cast the net wider. Simon Kyaga led a team of researchers at Sweden's Karolinska Institute.
Read more: Life of a muse: What is it like to inspire art for a living?
Using a registry of psychiatric patients, they tracked nearly 1.2 million Swedes and their relatives. The patients demonstrated conditions ranging from schizophrenia and depression to ADHD and anxiety syndromes.

They found that people working in creative fields, including dancers, photographers and authors, were 8% more likely to live with bipolar disorder. Writers were a staggering 121% more likely to suffer from the condition, and nearly 50% more likely to commit suicide than the general population.

They also found that people in creative professions were more likely to have relatives with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, anorexia and autism.

That is significant. Earlier studies on families have suggested that there could be an inherited trait that gives rise to both creativity and mental illness.

Some people may inherit a form of the trait that fosters creativity without the burden of mental illness, while others may inherit an amped-up version that stokes anxiety, depression and hallucinations.

There is anecdotal evidence supporting the connection. Albert Einstein's son lived with schizophrenia, as did James Joyce's daughter.

Keri Szaboles, a psychiatrist at Semmelweis University in Hungary, has studied the role genes may play more directly.

Szaboles gave 128 participants a creativity test followed by a blood test. He found that those who demonstrated the greatest creativity carried a gene associated with severe mental disorders.
Method in the madness?
Psychologists have established a link between mental illness and creativity, but they are still piecing together the mechanisms that underlie it.

In September neuroscientist Andreas Fink and his colleagues at the University of Graz in Austria published a study comparing the brains of creative people and people living with schizotypy.
Read more: Art and fashion, new BFFs?
Schizotypy is a less severe manifestation of schizophrenia. People with the condition may demonstrate odd beliefs (like a belief in aliens) or behavior (like wearing inappropriate clothes). Unlike schizophrenics, they do not have delusions and are not disconnected from reality.

Fink and his team recruited participants demonstrating low and high levels of schizotypy. They then slid them into a functional magnetic resonance imaging machine, and asked them to come up with novel ways of using every day objects. They later assessed the originality of their responses.

An interesting pattern emerged. Among those high in schizotypy and those who scored highest on originality, the right precuneus - a region of the brain involved in attention and focus - kept firing during idea generation. Normally this region deactivates during a complex task, which is thought to help a person focus.

Put more simply, the results suggest that creatives and those with high levels of schizotypy take in more information and are less able to ignore extraneous details. Their brain does not allow them to filter.

Scott Barry Kaufman, an American psychologist and writer for Scientific American, has summed up the results this way. "It seems that the key to creative cognition is opening up the flood gates and letting in as much information as possible," he writes. "Because you never know: sometimes the most bizarre associations can turn into the most productively creative ideas."

Clearly some people suffer for their art, and clearly some art stems from suffering. But it would be inaccurate to say that all creatives run the risk of mental illness.

Kyaga, the Swedish academic, points out that dancers, directors, and visual artists demonstrated mental illnesses less frequently than the general population.
Read more: Life imitating art: Astonishing '2D' makeup transforms model's face into famous paintings Read more: Jameel Prize for art inspired by Islam awarded to female fashion duo

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The dark side of creativity: Depression + anxiety x madness = genius?

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(CNN) -- Celebrated Norwegian artist Edvard Munch's life was fraught with anxiety and hallucinations. The painter, who died 70 years ago today, created one of the most recognized masterpieces in history, "The Scream", which came to him in a sinister vision as he stood on the edges of Oslofjord.

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Famous Artists Who Suffered with Mental Health

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Famous Artists Who Suffered with Mental Health

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I have written about many of these artists when I had to do my essays when studying for my diploma for Art Appreciation 2016.  Interesting to know that how art helped sooth her minds

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The tortured artist has been a recurring character in fiction and in real life. Countless painters, composers, writers and musicians have suffered from depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, prompting people to ask the question, are artists more likely to suffer from mental illness?

The research says yes. A 2012 study followed 1.2 million patients and their relatives and found that bipolar disorder is more common in individuals with artistic professions including dancers, photographers and authors. (Scientists were also found to have the same link.) And authors were more likely to face other psychiatric diseases like depression, anxiety, substance abuse and schizophrenia. And sadly, writers were also about 50 percent more likely to commit suicide than the population at large.

The pool to choose from is vast, but here are eight artists who suffered while creating art that millions have enjoyed.

1. Ludwig van Beethoven

Beethoven was prone to bouts of energetic highs and suicidal lows. (Image: Karl Joseph Stieler/Wikimedia Commons)

Legendary composer Ludwig van Beethoven is reported to have suffered from depression and, some have even speculated, bipolar disorder. That, of course, is in addition to his alcoholism, a condition that eventually led to his death due to liver damage. In the book " Diagnosing Genius: The Life and Death of Beethoven," author François Martin Mai notes that Beethoven showed sudden changes of mood going from energetic and driven to depressed and suicidal, showing the highs and lows associated with bipolar disorder.

2. Edvard Munch

Edvard Munch credited his mental illness for inspiring many of his creative works, including his most famous painting, 'The Scream.' (Images: Anders Beer Wilse; Edvard Munch/Wikimedia Commons)

Painter of the famous and emotionally charged work, "The Scream," (above) Edvard Munch is said to have suffered from depression, agoraphobia, a nervous breakdown and to have had hallucinations, one of which inspired "The Scream." Mental illness also ran in his family, most notably with his sister. The Norwegian artist said of the relationship between his mental illness and his work, "My fear of life is necessary to me, as is my illness. Without anxiety and illness, I am a ship without a rudder ... my sufferings are part of my self and my art. They are indistinguishable from me, and their destruction would destroy my art." He wrote in one of his journals, "Illness, insanity and death were the black angels that kept watch over my cradle and accompanied me all my life."

3. Vincent van Gogh

Historians have long theorized about Vincent van Gogh's (seen here in a self-portrait) various mental illnesses. (Image: Vincent van Gogh/Wikimedia Commons)

Many have guessed at the root of van Gogh's mental illness. The painter has been said to have suffered from depression (perhaps manic depression), bipolar disorder, hallucinations and episodes of derangement as well as epilepsy. He ultimately committed suicide in 1890 at the age of 37. Over time, some researchers have blamed his conditions on his love of absinthe, while others have speculated he had acute intermittent porphyria, a hereditary metabolic disorder that could account for his many symptoms as well as his family history of mental illness. Whatever the cause, van Gogh led a difficult life plagued by depression that ultimately resulted in his death.

4. David Foster Wallace

David Foster Wallace was diagnosed with depression while he was in college. (Photo: Steve Rhodes/Wikimedia Commons)

David Foster Wallace, best known for his novel "Infinite Jest" and considered one of the foremost literary talents of his generation, tragically committed suicide by hanging himself on his patio in 2008. According to the New Yorker, a publication his words appeared in many times, Wallace suffered from a deep depression, a condition he had first been diagnosed with while in college at Amherst. Three years before his death, Wallace said about suicide in his famous commencement speech at Kenyon College, "This, like many clichés, so lame and unexciting on the surface, actually expresses a great and terrible truth. It is not the least bit coincidental that adults who commit suicide with firearms almost always shoot themselves in the head. They shoot the terrible master. And the truth is that most of these suicides are actually dead long before they pull the trigger."

5. Georgia O'Keeffe

Georgia O'Keeffe photographed while sketching in 1918; O'Keeffe's 'Series 1, No. 8.' (Images: Alfred Stieglitz; Georgia O'Keeffe/Wikimedia Commons)

Because of books by biographers Hunter Drohojowska-Philip and Roxana Robinson, we know that, at age 46, Georgia O'Keeffe was admitted to Doctors Hospital in New York City after suffering from anxiety and depression. Salon reports that O'Keeffe had weeping spells and went periods without eating or sleeping. The famous painter was said to be struggling due to not having completed a mural at Radio City Music Hall, leading to her breakdown.

6. Sylvia Plath

Sylvia Plath, known as one of the early confessional poets, famously detailed her depression and told her story on the page, both in novel form with "The Bell Jar" and in her poems. At 20 years old, the Smith College student stole her mother's sleeping pills and crawled under her home's porch to die. However, she survived, her body vomiting up the pills and ending the 40-hour police search tasked with finding her. After the attempt, she was placed in McLean Hospital for six months and received electric shock therapy. In February of 1963, 10 years after attempting suicide with the sleeping pills, Plath succeeded in killing herself. She made breakfast for her children, wrote a note for the housekeeper with a doctor's phone number on it and put her head in the oven.

7. Francisco Goya

Francisco Goya's (pictured above in a self-portrait) physical illnesses are believed to have been a catalyst for his mental troubles. (Photo: Francisco Goya/Wikimedia Commons)

In 1792, Francisco Goya, 46 years old, came down with a mysterious illness, causing him to suffer from hearing loss, headaches, dizziness, issues with his vision and paresis (or weakness) in one of his arms. Soon after, his physical issues turned into mental symptoms including depression, hallucinations, delirium and weight loss. Scholars have suggested that Goya's illnesses likely influenced his later art, which featured some pretty dark material. Take for example, " Saturn Devouring His Son." If you click on that, be warned:The title does a good job of describing the visuals.

8. Anne Sexton

It isn't often we get to learn about the inner mind of a poet through anything more than poetry. Biographer Diane Wood Middlebrook was given access to more than 300 audiotapes of Anne Sexton's therapy sessions with psychiatrist Dr. Martin T. Orne for her book, "Anne Sexton." We learn that it's because of her therapy sessions that she started to write. Sexton was extremely depressed and had suicidal tendencies when she started to see Orne. He recommended that Sexton write down her feelings to help her deal with her emotions, something he also recommended to others. According to the New York Times, Sexton almost immediately became a hit.

Unfortunately, Sexton's life was filled with emotional ups and downs. She suffered from postpartum depression after her first child was born, had her first mental breakdown and was then admitted to a psychiatric hospital, a place she went back to numerous times when she needed help managing her symptoms. Sexton had another child, and then another breakdown that led to her hospitalization. Ultimately, in 1974 she committed suicide by asphyxiating herself with carbon monoxide in her garage. She had also been good friends with Sylvia Plath.

Related on MNN:

Inset photos
Sylvia Plath gravestone: Jennifer Boyer/flickr
Anne Sexton grave marker: Midnightdreary/Wikimedia Commons

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8 artists who suffered from mental illness

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The tortured artist has been a recurring character in fiction and in real life. Countless painters, composers, writers and musicians have suffered from depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, prompting people to ask the question, are artists more likely to suffer from mental illness? The research says yes.

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Language: English | German

Abstract

Objective: Artwork and psychiatric disorders are often linked. Accomplished artists with psychiatric disorders express themselves and their emotional distress through their works, and art therapists use the visual arts to help clients understand their problems and cope with them. There have been a number of psychiatric patients with no previous art training who produced artwork that many consider museum-worthy (Art Brut, or Outsider Art.) For the past two years, I have used artwork in another way: to better understand my clients and their psychiatric disorders.

Methods: Presented here are paintings I have made about the mental illness experience of some of my clients, all well known to me through their therapy. It is a form of visual psychodrama, in which I reverse roles with the client through the paintings. My goal has been to experience the stresses felt by my clients so that I can understand them better.

Results: The paintings have served as a point of embarkation for therapy sessions, as a means of clarifying a client's experience, and as a way to show clients that their therapist is attending to what they say. Countertransference undoubtedly plays a role in my choice of clients and their portrayals, but the intent is to help me better understand the clients' experiences.

Included here are images of some of these paintings with a short psychiatric history of the client about whom they were made. Accompanying each one are responses from the clients upon viewing "their" paintings, and a discussion of the client's psychiatric disorder.

Conclusions: Making these paintings has helped me understand better the feelings of isolation, rejection, loss, and alienation that many of my clients experience every day. In turn, they tell me that viewing the paintings is an intense experience for them as well. As an outsider artist, I must leave it to the viewer to determine whether or not these paintings qualify as "art."

Keywords: art, Art Brut, Outsider Art, psychotherapy, painting, mental illness

Abstract

Ziel: Bildende Kunst und psychische Erkrankungen sind häufig miteinander verknüpft. Erfahrene Künstler mit psychischen Erkrankungen äußern oft sich selbst und ihre emotionale Notlage durch ihre Werke, und Kunsttherapeuten verwenden die bildende Kunst, um Patienten zu helfen, ihre Probleme zu verstehen und mit ihnen besser umzugehen. Es gab eine Reihe von psychiatrischen Patienten ohne vorherige Ausbildung, die Kunst produzierten, die man als museumswürdig betrachten kann (Art Brut, Außenseiter-Kunst). In den letzten zwei Jahren habe ich die Kunst in einer anderen Art und Weise verwendet: nämlich, um meine Patienten und ihre psychischen Erkrankungen besser zu verstehen.

Methoden: Die hier vorgestellten Gemälde habe ich über die Erfahrungen mit der psychischen Krankheit einiger meiner Patienten gemalt, die ich aus ihren Therapien gut kenne. Ich sehe das als eine Form des visuellen Psychodramas, indem ich durch die Bilder meine Rolle mit den Patienten tausche. Mein Ziel ist es, meine Patienten dadurch besser verstehen zu können.

Ergebnisse: Die Bilder dienten als Ausgangspunkt für die Therapie, als ein Mittel zur Klärung des Erlebens des Patienten und als ein Weg, Patienten zu zeigen, dass ihre Therapeuten an dem, was sie sagen, auch wirklich Anteil nehmen. Gegenübertragung spielt eine wichtige Rolle bei meiner Wahl der Patienten und ihrer Beschreibungen, aber die wichtigste Absicht ist es, mir zu helfen, sie besser zu verstehen.

Dargestellt sind einige dieser Bilder mit einer kurzen Geschichte der psychiatrischen Patienten. Daneben sind dann jeweils die Reaktionen der Patienten auf "ihre" Bilder, und eine Diskussion über die psychische Störung der jeweiligen Patienten.

Schlussfolgerungen: Das Malen dieser Bilder hat mir geholfen, die Gefühle der Isolation, der Ablehnung, des Verlust und der Entfremdung, die viele meiner Patienten jeden Tag erleben, besser zu verstehen. Dazu kommt noch, sagen mir viele der Patienten, dass das Betrachten der Bilder eine intensive Erfahrung für sie ist. Als Außenseiter-Künstler muss ich es dem Betrachter überlassen, ob diese Bilder als "Kunst" angesehen werden.

Introduction

The thoughts, beliefs, values, and emotions of artists are inescapably represented in their work - and on some occasions, intentionally depicted. Three of the more familiar connections between art and the functions of the mind are the ways in which artists express their own thoughts, feelings, and mental distress in their paintings; the use of art to help individuals with mental disorders; and the occasional emergence of a person with mental illness, untrained as an artist, who proves to have a unique artistic vision.

Several notable artists with psychiatric disorders have expressed their thoughts and moods in their artwork. Mark Rothko, Edvard Munch, and Bernard Buffet stated that their artwork reflected their depressed mood. Art historians and writers have interpreted the paintings of some artists (including Paul Cézanne, Vincent van Gogh, and Jackson Pollock) as showing evidence of a psychiatric disorder [ 1].

Psychotherapy clients are often at a loss to describe how they feel. The discipline of art therapy is devoted to helping individuals express themselves without the need for language or logic; their lack of artistic skill or training is no barrier to self-expression [ 2].

A few individuals with mental disorders have produced works that have gained the attention of artists, art dealers, art historians, collectors, and curators. Jean Dubuffet called their work "Art Brut," ("rough art," or "coarse art") [ 3]. Roger Cardinal later defined a category he called "Outsider Art," which included Art Brut and also the work of folk artists, primitive artists, and untrained artists without mental illness who were indifferent to the prevailing culture. Outsider artists, as defined by Cardinal, are not influenced by the art establishment, and are free of the restraining conventions of traditional art [ 4].

I have found another intersection of art and the mind: artwork produced by the psychotherapist with the emotional experience of the client as the subject. For the last two years, I have been making paintings depicting the depression, mania, psychosis, and compulsions of my clients. The paintings have become part of the bond between us, and are integrated into our psychotherapy. My initial purpose was to enter into the clients' world of mental illness to help me understand it better. The paintings have done that, and more - they have helped the clients by making tangible their intangible experiences.

This paper explores the intersection of art and the functions of the mind, and concludes with a discussion of the paintings I have made.

Artists with mental illness

In 1792, Francisco Goya (1746-1828) fell desperately ill with a fever and mental confusion; he may have had encephalitis. Upon physical recovery, he still suffered with episodes of hallucinosis, depressed mood, and emotional outbursts. Goya then set about depicting mental illness and those who suffer with it in a series of etchings ("Los Proverbios" or "Los Disparates," 1815 through 1824, Link 1). He never exhibited these etchings, and they were not published until 40 years after his death.

Paul Cézanne (1839-1906), who had repeated bouts of depression, revealed his depressed mood in a number of canvases. These include:

Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890), had episodes of depression, episodes of expansive and frenetic mood, and episodes of hallucinations; he died by his own hand. His physicians blamed absinthe and a seizure disorder for his mental illness; he has been posthumously diagnosed with a variety of disorders, including bipolar disorder [ 5]. His mood swings, his recurring obsession with death, and his psychotic perceptions can be seen in many of his works.

Paintings and drawings describing his psychiatric hospitalizations include:

"Stone steps in the garden of St. Paul's Hospital at Saint-Rémy" ( Link 11)

"Vestibule of St. Paul's Hospital at Saint-Rémy" ( Link 12)

"Window of Vincent's studio in St. Paul's Hospital at Saint-Rémy" ( Link 13)

Evidence for depressed mood and obsession with death is found in the following works:

Evidence for hallucinations and delusions can be seen in these paintings:

Evidence for mania and mixed mania is seen in:

Several Post-Impressionists are known for expressing their mood disorders in their work. The best known single work is "The Scream" by the Norwegian Edvard Munch (1863-1944), of which there are a number of versions ( Link 27). "The Scream" shows a desperate man, shrieking in his despair. Many of Munch's other paintings also express the depressed and hopeless mood that tormented him throughout his life, his obsession with death, and his overwhelming fears. These include:

The frenzied images of Jackson Pollock (1912-1956) appear to reflect his inner turmoil. Alcohol dependent and never able to stay sober for long, constantly depressed and frequently suicidal, he died in a one-car crash. A film of him painting shows him working at a hectic pace; he appears to be expressing his internal chaos on the canvas before him ( Link 38). Examples include:

Bernard Buffet (1928-1999) suffered with depression, and often depicted himself in a depressed state in his paintings, including "Self portrait in the bathroom" ( Link 44); "Self portrait #4 1981" ( Link 45); and "La mort (Death)" ( Link 46; Link 47).

Bryan Charnley (1949-1991) lived with schizophrenia; his medication controlled most of his symptoms but limited his creativity. He deliberately stopped and started medication in order to fully experience his illness and to record it in his paintings ( Link 48). As with van Gogh, Charnley's self-portraits show his progression through psychosis ( Link 49), and like van Gogh, he died by his own hand.

Cézanne, Buffet, and Rothko suffered with depression, van Gogh with depression and mood swings, Munch and Pollock with depression and alcohol dependence, Charnley with schizophrenia. This raises the question of whether or not artists are more likely to be mentally ill than other people.

Artists, psychologists, and sociologists have weighed in on this topic for more than 200 years, without a resolution. Benjamin Rush (1745-1813), the "Father of American Psychiatry", thought a connection between mental illness and artistic creativity was likely [ 6]. The Italian criminologist and psychiatrist Cesare Lombroso (1836-1909), theorized that artistic genius was also a form of mental illness, publishing these ideas in his book "Genio e Follia" (Genius and Madness), in 1894 [ 7]. Arnold Ludwig has reported that highly creative individuals are twice as likely to have significant psychopathology as noncreative ones [ 8], although a connection with alcohol dependence was not apparent [ 9]. Ludwig has asserted that being mentally ill contributes to the creativity of the artist [ 10]. Kay Jamison has written extensively that the core elements of the "artistic temperament" as identical with the core elements of bipolar disorder [ 1].

There is even disagreement over the advisability of treating creative individuals with mental illness. Rothenberg asserted that individual with bipolar disorder are more creative than others, and advised caution in the use of treatments that could inhibit their creativity [ 13].

Artists depicting mental illness in their work

Charles Louis Lucien Muller (1815-1892) documented one of the seminal events in psychiatry, Philippe Pinel ordering the chains of the mentally ill inmates at the Bicêtre Asylum in Paris removed ( Link 51). A few years later, Pinel did the same for the inmates of La Salpêtrière, shown in an equally well-known painting by Tony Robert-Fleury (1838-1912) ( Link 52).

Jean-Etienne Dominique Esquirol (1772-1840), who succeeded Philippe Pinel at La Salpêtrière, illustrated his 1838 text Traité des maladies mentales considérées sous le rapport médical, hygiénique et médico-légal ( A treatise on mental disorders with consideration of their medical, health and forensic aspects) with dramatic etchings of mentally ill patients by the artist Ambroise Tardieu (1818-1879) ( Link 53, Link 54).

Charles Bell (1774-1842), born in Scotland, used his skill as an anatomist and an artist to make some of the finest surgical atlases of the day; he described the VII th cranial nerve palsy that carries his name. Bell sympathized with the condition of mentally ill patients, and made a number of etchings showing the degrading conditions in which they were kept in England ( Link 55).

Suicide has been depicted in many paintings, usually with a historical or literary perspective. The Biblical story of the suicide of Saul, who killed himself rather than suffer humiliation, was painted by Pieter Breughel the Elder (1525-1569) ( Link 58; Link 59). Botticelli (1445-1510) depicted the legend of Lucretia, who killed herself after having been raped by the king's son ( Link 60). Titian, Rembrandt, Veronese, and Raphael have also made paintings showing Lucretia's rape, her suicide, or the overthrow of the king that followed. Cleopatra's suicide using an asp has been painted by Giovanni Francesco Barbieri (1591-1666) ( Link 61), and by Jean André Rixens, Guido Reni, and Reginald Arthur. The suicides of Romeo and Juliet in Shakespeare's play have been painted by Joseph Wright (1734-1797) ( Link 62), and by Frederic Leighton and Johann Heinrich Füssli. The suicide of Socrates was the subject of a great painting by Jacques-Louis David (1748-1825), painted during the French Revolution, that acclaimed Socrates' choice of death with honor ( Link 63) - one of the themes of the Revolution. Edouard Manet (1832-1883) painted an unusual picture of a man in evening dress who has just shot himself in the abdomen and fallen onto his bed ( Link 64). Manet may have been despondent over the suicide of a friend and fellow painter [ 15].

Ric Hall and Ron Schmitt collaborate in pastels and have many works that reflect serious mental illness, including major depressive disorder ("Depression", 2001; Link 65); delusions ("Inner demons", 2002; Link 66), alcohol dependence and depression ("Awaiting Tomorrow", 2002; Link 66), opioid dependence ("Fascination with the Pill", 2003; Link 67), and imminent death ("When Sickness And Health Are Too Much", 2007; Link 68).

Art therapy

The first documentation of art as therapy was in the mid-19 th century, in Scotland [ 16], when asylum inmates were given art materials and encouraged to draw and paint. Since then, art therapy has evolved into a professional discipline with study at the Masters level leading to certification.

Art therapy is used with hospitalized patients with severe and persistent mental illness, inpatients with depression and anxiety disorders, and outpatients with any emotional disorder. Some addiction recovery programs use art therapy, as do programs for autistic children, incarcerated prisoners, and multi-lingual programs where verbal exchange between clients is limited ( Link 69).

Art brut and Outsider Art

The concept that the paintings, drawings, and constructions of individuals under treatment for mental illness might have artistic merit dates from the late 19 th century. Cesare Lombroso (cited above for his controversial theories on creativity and mental illness) collected the artwork of patients at the mental hospital he directed, and published a treatise on his collection, L'Arte Nei Pazzi ( The Art of the Insane), in 1880. Emil Kraepelin (1856-1926), one of the fathers of biological psychiatry, began a collection of drawings and paintings done by psychotic patients at the hospital of the University of Heidelberg, Germany, beginning around the turn of the 20 th century. When Hans Prinzhorn (1886-1933) became the superintendent of the hospital, he expanded the collection, and in 1922 he published an account of it, Bildnerei der Geisteskranken ( Artistry of the Mentally Ill) [ 20]; the collection eventually contained 5000 items. At about the same time, in Switzerland, Walter Morgenthaler published Ein Geisteskranker als Künstler ( A Psychiatric Patient as Artist), describing the drawings of one of his patients, Adolf Wölfli.

Jean Dubuffet (1901-1985), a talented but inconsistent painter ( Link 72) and sculptor ( Link 73), became intrigued with the concept of art produced by individuals with mental illness. After the end of World War II, Dubuffet sought out these untrained, socially marginalized, and emotionally troubled artists and began collecting and showing their work. Critics maintained that the works produced by these psychiatric patients were not art at all, but only technical productions; Dubuffet argued that the artwork spoke for itself, and was as fully "Art" as any work produced by trained artists, and especially notable because it was unaffected by the traditions of Western art, the influence of society, or any commercial interest. He named this genre "Art Brut," and organized the first public exhibition of it, "L'Art Brut Préféré aux Arts Culturels/Raw Art is Preferred to Cultural Art," in Paris in 1949 ( Link 74) [ 3]. (The collection is now housed in its own museum in Lausanne, Switzerland ( Link 75)).

Dubuffet's museum defines Art Brut as follows:

Les auteurs d'Art Brut sont des marginaux réfractaires au dressage éducatif et au conditionnement culturel, retranchés dans une position d'esprit rebelle à toute norme et à toute valeur collective. Ils ne veulent rien recevoir de la culture et ils ne veulent rien lui donner. Ils n'aspirent pas à communiquer, en tout cas pas selon les procédures marchandes et publicitaires propres au système de diffusion de l'art [ 21].

The creators of Art Brut are marginalized individuals who are resistant to the normative educational and cultural structure, who maintain an independent attitude in spite of societal norms and values. They want nothing from mainstream culture and have no interest in engaging in it. They do not wish to discuss their works, seek no publicity, and want nothing to do with the commercial aspects of art. (translation: TR)

In 1970, Roger Cardinal described as "Outsider Art" a category of artistic expression that included the work of individuals untrained in art, whose creations were spontaneous expressions of their thoughts, feelings, and beliefs - but who were not necessarily mental patients [ 4]. Outsider Art included Art Brut, folk art, primitive art, and other artwork outside of the cultural establishment. His book was viewed with skepticism by many, as in this book review by John Milner published in the art journal Leonardo: "If the author points out a land where original marvels await discovery, then he may have achieved a great deal. But he does not begin to show us how to go there or how to leave behind the culture that we know" [ 22].

Brut artists with mental illness include Adolf Wölfli, Martin Ramirez, Henry Darger, and Madge Gill.

Adolf Wölfli (1864-1930) ( Link 76), spent his entire adult life in psychiatric institutions in Switzerland, diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. He produced some 25,000 sketches, drawings, collages, and other images exploring his delusions and fantasies, and sometimes gave them to visitors in exchange for cigarettes or small amounts of money. In his narrative, Wölfli re-created an imaginary autobiography beginning at birth and continuing far into the future [ 23].

Martin Ramirez (1895-1963) ( Link 77), spent most of his life in a psychiatric hospital in California, and was also diagnosed with schizophrenia; he used any available scrap of paper and any available implement that would make a mark for his pictures of trains, animals, and Madonnas [ 24].

Henry Darger (1892-1973) ( Link 78) received psychiatric treatment only briefly. He lived an isolated life, without friends or family, venturing out of his apartment only to go to work. After his death, his landlord opened his apartment, and discovered a massive quantity of drawings, paintings, songs, epistles, and a novel of more than 15,000 pages, which Darger had never shown to anyone [ 25].

Madge Gill (1882-1961) ( Link 79) was never treated as a psychiatric patient, but her behavior suggests both a thought disorder and a mood disorder, and in her later years, alcohol dependence. She made complex pen-and-ink drawings of herself and her daughter in ornate gowns, in response to guidance from a spirit she called "Myrninerest," ranging in size from post cards to 30 feet long (drawn on a piece of fabric.) She rarely sold any of them, maintaining that they belonged not to her, but to her spirit guide. After her death, thousands of them were found in her home, stacked in cupboards, and piled under the bed.

The work of Wölfli, Ramirez, Darger, and Gill have been the subject of many scholarly books and papers, and numerous exhibits have focused on them [ 26], [ 27]. A Foundation at the Museum of Fine Arts in Bern, Switzerland is devoted to Wölfli's work ( Link 80). The Milwaukee Museum of Art recently mounted an exhibition of Ramirez work ( Link 81), and the American Folk Museum has established the Henry Darger Study Center ( Link 82). Nearly all of Madge Gill's drawings are owned by the Borough of Newham, London, but are not being displayed; a few are in the Art Brut museum in Lausanne.

A good example of an Outsider artist with no apparent mental illness is the French postman, Ferdinand Cheval (1836-1924). He picked up a stone on his postal route one day and brought it home. Each day he picked up more stones, and, intrigued by them, he began building a structure with them. Over the next 33 years, this became a passion (or an obsession); eventually, he brought along a wheelbarrow to carry his stones home. The flamboyant castle he created by cementing the stones together is now a French national landmark ( Link 83).

In 1976, at the age of 60, Howard Finster (1916-2001) ( Link 84), an ordained minister, received a vision commanding him to produce sacred art. He was not a mental patient; he had worked as a minister, engaged in his community, and raised a family. He had no training in art, and had never painted in his life. He said he received a a command to complete 5000 paintings glorifying the Word of God. He responded with over 16,000 works (and once completed 67 paintings in a single day). Most of these works are now on display at the museum he established for them in Summerville, Georgia ( Link 85). Although he accepted commissions (he painted album covers for the rock groups REM and Talking Heads), he remained focused on his spiritual calling - all his paintings are filled with religious images and Bible verses. He considered his commissioned album covers as part of his mission, since every person who purchased the band's album would also be exposed to his spiritual message.

Gaston Chaissac (1910-1964) ( Link 86), had a few drawing lessons in his youth, but was otherwise untrained; however, he was exposed to the work of contemporary artwork through several artists that he met, who encouraged him. He never received psychiatric treatment, although he had episodes of depression, and lived on the outskirts of society most of his life. His work clearly reflects the influence of Picasso, Kandinsky, Paul Klee, and Georges Braque, yet, he sought no professional recognition and painted strictly for himself.

The work of Franco Magnani (1934- ), the "memory artist," can also be considered Outsider Art. Magnani left his home village of Portito, Italy, when just a boy; he worked as a cook and a baker, eventually settling in San Francisco. Although he had no artistic training, he started painting scenes recalled from boyhood, which are remarkably accurate ( Link 87).

Grandma Moses (Anna Mary Robertson Moses, 1860-1961) ( Link 88), began painting in her 70s, without art instruction, and became famous for her scenes of rural life. She was called a "folk artist" in her time, indicating the coarse, plain style of her work; she can also be considered an Outsider artist.

James Ure, an untrained artist who lives with schizoaffective disorder, tells the story of his illness in paintings ("The colorful outside represents the dance of mania and the black, purple, center represents the 'black hole' of depression," Link 91), and sells prints over the internet. Ure is an example of an Outsider artist who wants to be noticed - most avoid public attention. The advent of internet publishing has made it much easier for Outsider artists to interact with the world, if they want to ( Link 92).

Greg Bottoms has written a fascinating book describing his search for Outsider artists in the American South. He describes Outsider Art in this way: "It is more often fuelled by passion, troubled psychology, extreme ideology, faith, despair, and the desperate need to be heard and seen that comes with cultural marginalization and mental unease ([ 29], p. 2)." Bottoms quotes David Fecho on Outsider artists: "All these folks lead very peripheral lives in terms of the normative social structures. They are driven by something outside of commercial success or acceptance.... They don't really care about the long-term viability of their art. Perfection of craft and vocation are not at all what drives then. What they care about is getting up every day and engaging with the materials and speaking through these materials about their lives what they mean in a grander scheme ([ 29], p. 7)."

Typically, Outsider artists paint for themselves, but not for fame or fortune. The Taiwanese artist, Hung Tung (1920-1987) ( Link 93), is an example of this; when the public became interested in buying his paintings, he retreated back to isolation and died in poverty, rather than sell his work. "At one time derided and believed insane for his obsession with painting, Hung was eventually heralded as a master," writes Victoria Y. Lu in the book, "Vernacular Visionaries." "Hung's death caused the market value of his surviving works to skyrocket and elevated his reputation as one of the most important artists of twentieth century Taiwan ([ 30], p. 93)." Similarly, when a wealthy art collector offered to buy all of Gaston Chaissac's paintings (he was penniless at the time), Chaissac turned him down, stating that he preferred his independence to wealth, and would rather have his paintings than money.

Most authors no longer find value in distinguishing between Brut artists and Outsider artists, generally preferring the latter, more inclusive term as more useful [ 36]. A more important distinction is that between Outsider Art and mainstream or establishment art. The differences lie primarily in the economics of art and the definition of mental illness in the culture of the artist - not with the art itself. The psychoanalyst Ernst Kris believed that the "artworks" of psychiatric patients were mere mechanical productions, characterized by crowded and repetitive images, psychotic symbols, delusional visions, and primitive technique [ 37]. It is true that Adolf Wölfli crammed his pictures with figures ("horror vacuui"), but so did Pieter Breughel ( Link 95) and Hieronymus Bosch ( Link 96). Hung Tung painted imaginary scenes, but so did Watteau ( Link 97) and Raphael ( Link 98). Howard Finster painted in response to a call from God, but so did Michaelangelo ( Link 99) and the anonymous monks who illuminated the Book of Hours ( Link 100). The works of John the Painter and James Ure may seem more like the work of preschool children than artists, but so do Matisse's cutouts ( Link 101) and the scribblings of Cy Twombly ( Link 102). In the light of these comparisons, Kris's criticisms appear to be based more on prevailing culture than on artistic merit.

The art of Vincent van Gogh forces us to reconsider how we categorize artists. Van Gogh spent many months in a psychiatric hospital, most likely with bipolar disorder and alcoholism, where he made many paintings with the encouragement of his brother Theo and the staff; perhaps this was an early form of art therapy, a mentally ill patient trying to find himself. He never sold a painting for more than a few sous, but this did not deter him from painting; he completed 900 paintings and 1100 drawings in just over 10 years, most of them in the last two years of his life, and he died a suicide; perhaps he should be considered a Brut artist. His artistic style differed from that of his contemporaries and was considered amateurish and clumsy by art dealers; however, many well-known artists, including Cézanne, Gauguin, and Manet, admired his work, so perhaps he should be considered an Outsider artist. Today, any of his paintings would sell for tens of millions of dollars, and he is considered a "master." In fact, van Gogh has been accorded the two ultimate accolades of an artist - art forgers have selected van Gogh as worthy of imitation ( Link 103), and his paintings have been stolen from prominent museums ( Link 104).

My paintings (all client names are pseudonyms)

The paintings I have made follow the tradition of Outsider Art. I have no formal art training nor have I attempted to sell any paintings. As with the Outsider artists discussed in this paper, my paintings are made for personal reasons - in my case, to understand more fully the emotional experiences of my clients. Some paintings depict a specific event in a client's life: a suicide attempt, a sexual assault, a physical beating, a moment in a therapy session. Some tell a more general story: the insidious creep of traumatic memories into consciousness, the feeling of panic with nowhere to run, the depths of depression, the hectic turmoil of mania. Some seek to evoke an abiding or overwhelming feeling: the uncontrollable mood swings of bipolar disorder, the intensity of depression, the joy of recovery from addiction.

These paintings are a form of role reversal in which the canvas is a stage and the image is a projection of what I feel in the role of the client. As I make the paintings, I place myself in the client's ego state and represent what I feel on the canvas. As a psychodrama therapist, I utilize role reversal techniques with clients in therapy every day; the paintings are a sort of graphical role reversal, which help me see the world from the point of view of the client. The technique of role reversal was introduced by J.L. Moreno, the creator of psychodrama therapy, which he described in this way:

...A meeting of twoEye to eyeFace to faceAnd when you are nearI will tear out your eyesAnd place them instead of mineAnd you will tear out my eyesAnd place them instead of yoursThen I will look at youWith your eyesAnd you will look at meWith mine... [ 38]

I show the paintings to clients as part of their therapy sessions, and then keep the paintings in the office, where the clients can see them again (or not), as they wish. I also show the paintings to other clients, and tell the story behind the paintings (without, of course, revealing the identity of the client about whom they were made.)

Clients have various responses to the images. In general, they express gratitude at having a painting made about them; they know that many hours are required to complete a painting, and they take it as an honor. With the first few paintings, the clients responded immediately with compliments; these statements were made out of politeness, and interfered with therapy. Since then, I show clients their painting for the first time during a session, and I ask them not to say anything at all right away. Their first comments now are about the experience and not about the "art". A common first statement is, "Yeah, that's what it's like," or "I know that feeling," or "You made this about me?" or "That's exactly what I feel like, but how could you know?" This gives us an opportunity to discuss the issues further in that session - and the next one, and the next.

When I first show a painting to a client, I check for accuracy, asking if I have interpreted and shown their story correctly; occasionally, clients want something added or changed. Since this process is about insight and understanding, not art, we discuss the best way to represent how they feel. For example, Talia felt that a bubble surrounding her ought to be added to the painting showing her isolating herself from the chaotic world in which she lives. Edith asked that a .22 caliber bullet be added to the rope, shards of glass, and blades attached to her painting, to more clearly represent her suicide attempts.

I often ask clients to bring their spouse or a family member with them when I first show them their painting, both for support and to build empathy. Significant others often lack a clear understanding of what it is like to have a mental disorder - naturally, they focus on how the mental disorder has affected them. I will ask the client, "Tell your husband what the experience shown here is all about." Using the painting as an external validation of their internal distress has helped some clients discuss their psychiatric disorders with their spouses and family members.

Clients often ask to "visit" their painting again at the end of a session, or bring their spouse or a family member to see it. I email a JPG of the picture to the client as well. They often ask to see the paintings made for other clients; they tend to make non-committal responses to paintings depicting issues not familiar to them ("uh-huh") and spend more time on those they understand; at times, they have strong reactions to stories that are much like their own. Hannah, who was sexually abused as a child, drew back on seeing and hearing about Benjy's painting ("How long would I have to spend in jail for molesting a child?"). At the subsequent visit four weeks later, she had no recollection of having seen the painting. Some clients react so strongly to their painting that they would rather not see it again. Karen said, "It's burned into my mind; I don't have to see it again." Larry said, "I want to burn that painting." On three occasions, I have had a client express a great deal of interest in a particular painting with a topic that is similar to their own story. Later, I introduced the two clients to each other client, and asked them to share the meanings of their paintings with each other. This has led to several supportive friendships between clients with similar stories.

Many of the images are frightening or depressing; after all, they express what I hear in therapy sessions, and clients do not often come to a therapist to talk about their joy and runs of good luck. Some pictures show dramatic moments, such as the moment when Larry, as a baby, was violently shaken by his abusive father. Some depict pervasive feelings, such as Carol's grief over the death of her children.

I do not imagine that I am the first therapist to use artwork in this way, but after an extensive literature search, I have been unable to find any papers discussing this use of artwork, in the medical literature, in the psychotherapy literature, or in popular literature. Surely, there have been many psychotherapists and psychiatrists who were also skilled painters, and there have certainly been many budding young artists who decided to become therapists or psychiatrists instead of professional artists - but I have been unable to find accounts of them painting with the purposes described here. The closest I have found are the paintings made by Jack Kevorkian (1928- ), the Michigan physician who advocates voluntary euthanasia; and the computer-generated art by the psychologist Don Tatro (1934-2004), drawn from his years as evaluating clients, victims, and perpetrators.

Kevorkian, who has never considered himself an artist, made a series of 18 paintings two decades ago, depicting the distress of some of his "patients." These paintings were reportedly lost in shipment and have never reappeared. Kevorkian subsequently painted another eight paintings; the originals are not on display, but reproductions of six of them are available for purchase, and can be seen at Link 105. They are quite striking, and are strongly influenced by the surrealists. One of his paintings was featured as the cover art for an album by the rock group Paegan Terrorism Tactics ( Link 106).

Tatro did not consider himself an artist, either; he was a forensic psychologist with a gift for graphic art. He created a series of computer-generated images, on view at Link 107, that describe mental illness, but without reference to particular clients. In Tatro's words: "Each is meant to depict one of the main mental disorders or, in their lesser manifestations, personality types. I have attached a little explanatory text to each image, briefly describing the kind of problem being depicted and how the image is intended to symbolize it" [ 31].

The following are images of a few of my paintings, each accompanied by a short clinical history and a DSM-IV diagnosis; I have completed 45 as of this writing. More can be found at Link 108.

Conclusion

I began painting two years ago with no purpose in mind other than to understand more completely the emotional experiences of my clients. Prior to that time, it had never occurred to me to put paint to canvas. Having had no training in painting or sculpture, I did not consider what I was doing as creating "art"; rather, I was seeking to represent an experience or a feeling. Only later did I begin to wonder what it was that I had created.

I began the study that led to this paper in 2007, and only then did I become aware of Outsider artists. These individuals create art for themselves, not for fame or profit or because their society compels them to. What their work lacks in polish and technique, it makes up for by being genuine and heartfelt. Outsider Art represents an unvarnished, direct representation of the thoughts, feelings, beliefs and experiences of the artist.

On looking around my office at the forty or so paintings displayed there, a client asked how many I had sold. The thought of selling these paintings made me feel uncomfortable, even insulted. I explained to the client that the paintings are part of my relationship with my clients, and to sell one would feel like a violation of the bond between us.

My paintings, therefore, follow in the tradition of Outsider Art such as the work of Howard Finster, Hung Tung, Madge Gill, and Francois Cheval - work created without commercial intent, for personal reasons, using readily available materials, and without professional training. And that, I am proud to say, makes me an Outsider artist.

The insights I have gained into my client's conditions by representing them on canvas has been invaluable to me as a therapist. I encourage other therapists to become Outsider artists and make a similar exploration. You do not need art lessons or any particular degree of skill; if you don't know how to paint "the right way," there will be nothing to block your creativity or undermine your authenticity. Outsider artists blaze their own trail, and since no one has ever taken their exact path, the journey will be unique.

Notes

Acknowledgements

The author is grateful to Mr. Peter Frey of Vienna and New York City, who translated the abstract into German.

Grant support

This paper was written without grant support.

Conflicts of interest

None declared.

Copyright

International copyright to the images of the author's paintings, contained herein, is retained by the author.

References

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Using artwork to understand the experience of mental illness: Mainstream artists and Outsider artists

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Language: English | German Objective: Artwork and psychiatric disorders are often linked. Accomplished artists with psychiatric disorders express themselves and their emotional distress through their works, and art therapists use the visual arts to help clients understand their problems and cope with them.

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I found this site extremely informative.

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CSIRO PUBLISHING | Health Promotion Journal of Australia

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One of the Most Comprehensive Online Resources of Art & Healing

The following regional, national and international non-profit art and healing organizations use art and art programs to help individuals, their communities, and society at large. They work tirelessly to advocate positive change in the world. Please note: Most of the descriptions of the organizations came from their mission statements on their websites. Please visit their websites for additional information.

This directory is part of a larger database we created with more than 100 listings, which is undoubtedly one of the few comprehensive resources on the topic. It comes with our e-Book "Sell Your Art in the Healthcare Art Market", the most comprehensive resource for artists who want to sell their art in this growing field. To learn more about read this article.

Do you know of an organization that should be listed in our Art and Healing Directory?
If so, please provide a brief mission statement and a link to its website in the comment section below.

A

Art Feeds
Art Feeds believes all children are artists. We exist to feed creative development and facilitate emotional expression in children through art and community. To do this, we provide free therapeutic art and creative education programs within schools & children's organizations by mobilizing teams of community members to bring all forms of art into classrooms.

Artists With Autism Inc.
Based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida Artists with Autism artistswithautism.com is a nonprofit
organization helping individuals with autism have meaningful lives with purpose. It focuses
on their talents and abilities and helps them build a business around those talents. Its unique consignment art gallery provides a platform for aspiring artists with autism to display and sell their artwork.

The Art of Autism
The Art of Autismthe-art-of-autism.com started by Debra Muzikar, an author, storyteller, and curator, is "about shifting perceptions and creating futures in the arts for those on the autism spectrum by creating collaborations and a support network for creatives on the spectrum." There is an online gallery and blog on the website.

The Art Room
This is a charitytheartroom.org.uk that helps 5 - 16 year old children who are experiencing emotional and behavioral difficulties. There are currently five Art Rooms in schools in Oxford and London, offering art as therapy to increase children's self-esteem, self-confidence and independence.

Art Saves Lives International
Art Saves Lives Internationalartsaveslivesinternational.com is a non-profit global arts organization dedicated to providing free inspirational and inclusive arts projects to marginalized artists. This organization exists to give a voice to the unheard. We believe this world can be enriched and given a voice through art. We aim to utilize art as a medium to engage, educate and express.

Do you want your art-healing program or organization to be considered for inclusion in this Resource Directory? Simply write the name of the organization and website with a brief 50 word description in the Comments section below. There is no fee to be considered or included.

B-G

Drawn to Help
Drawn To Help drawntohelp.com was created by artist Steve Barr to supplement existing art programs at hospitals, camps and treatment facilities around the country. This outstanding organization helps arrange "celebrity" appearances by successful cartoonists and talented artists who want to improve children's lives. Read an article about this organization.

The Healing Power of ART & ARTISTS
Calls For Artists & Our Online Art Exhibitions
Go here for information.

The Healing Power of ART & ARTISTS Has An Artist Membership.
Go here to view Members' Art.

H-L

The Kids & Art Foundation
This nonprofit organization kidsandart.org "provides Arts workshops to children with cancer and their care circles to improve their well-being during treatment, as survivors, and in bereavement." Professional artists help families facing pediatric cancer with free art workshops at treatment centers and other locations.

M - R

Our Phoenix Rises
Our Phoenix Rises.Orgourphoenixrises.org, founded by Mrs. Phoebe Margrill-Nix, is a nonprofit organization providing grants for an education in the arts to low-income individuals struggling with mental illness, addiction or sexual violence so that they may experience personal growth and have the opportunity to share their voices for the betterment of their communities.

Perry County Council of the Arts
Perry County Council of the Arts perrycountyarts.org provides learning and sharing opportunities to expand creativity in every person and connect our rural community. It fosters community development, provides job skills, promotes environmental conservation, and much more. It has a PCCA Gallery which supports and encourages 200 Pennsylvania member artists from beginners to professionals in their creative endeavors and has 13 satellite exhibition spaces known as "Art on Tour".

ProCure Art
Based is Washington DC ProCure procure-art.org is a 501(c)3 international nonprofit dedicated to improving the physical and emotional wellbeing of people and communities affected by adversity. "In the U.S., we provide art therapy to the terminally ill and victims of abuse; curate legacy art shows; and promote the use of art in medicine. Internationally, we deliver humanitarian psychosocial support services involving methods of trauma-informed art therapy."

Rehabilitation Through The Arts
RTArta-arts.org was founded in Sing Sing in 1996. Today, we work in five New York State prisons with innovative programs in theatre, dance, creative writing, voice and visual art. RTA is dedicated to using the creative arts as a tool for social and cognitive transformation behind prison walls.

Rosa Thay Nguyen Children's Foundation
RTNCF rtncf.org is a nonprofit organization founded by Elizabeth Nguyen-Espinoza. It is comprised of a group of artists, medical doctors and other medical professionals who work to promote humanitarian causes, such as providing medical care for underprivileged children. Elizabeth Nguyen-Espinoza also founded the ISEE gallery iseegallery.com. 25% of the gallery's net profit goes to help children in need.

S-Z

If you're an artist imagine having your healing art installed in a hospital, medical center, yoga studio or healing retreat. "Sell Your Art in the Healthcare Art Market" is the best most comprehensive resource for artists who want to sell their art in this growing field. To learn more about art in the healthcare art market and this e-Book read this article.
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The following regional, national and international non-profit art and healing organizations use art and art programs to help individuals, their communities, and society at large. They work tirelessly to advocate positive change in the world. Please note: Most of the descriptions of the organizations came from their mission statements on their websites.

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Art Therapy - Helping Children with Mental Health Problems

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Art Therapy - Helping Children with Mental Health Problems

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May 7 is National Children's Mental Health Awareness Day, a day meant to raise awareness of the many children, youth, and young adults throughout the country facing emotional and mental challenges. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the commemorative day, and various facilities around the country will celebrate accordingly, with family activities, symposiums, lectures, youth rallies and art lessons.

Yes, art lessons. Art therapy, a quickly growing field combining psychotherapy with art media, provides comfort and hope to youths facing a diverse range of challenges, from childhood neglect to the loss of a loved one. " The biggest advantage is that art can express things that are not expressible verbally," Dr. Sarah Deaver, the President of the American Art Therapy Association, explained in a previous interview with The Huffington Post. "That's a huge advantage for people who don't have the language to talk about what's inside of them."

Children often fall into this category.

In honor of Children's Mental Health Awareness Day, we reached out to an art therapy expert who works primarily with children and adolescents, Gretchen Miller. Miller began her career in the field as the Founder and Art Therapy Program Coordinator of a residential treatment art therapy program with partial hospitalization at The Cleveland Christian Home. She later developed and implemented a clinical art therapy program for Applewood Centers, Inc., within a residential treatment program for adolescent females. Most recently, Miller became a Certified Trauma Consultant through The National Institute for Trauma and Loss in Children (TLC).

We spoke to Miller about her career path and the particulars of working with a younger set of art therapy patients.

Mandala Collage (collage, chalk pastels on paper): "Working within the containment of a circle (mandala) often can be centering and provide a calm space for self-discovery. This mandala was created in an art therapy group for at risk teens to invite exploration around self-esteem. Using magazine photo collage as a material of choice can be a non-threatening approach to encourage teens to explore their feelings, thoughts, and values without anxiety about drawing skills." For starters, how do you define art therapy?
I define art therapy as the psychological use of art media and the creative process, facilitated by an art therapist, to help foster self expression, create coping skills, and strengthen sense of self. Using the artistic process to help people explore different challenges and things they're facing in their life.
How did you become involved with the field?
I've always been involved in art, since I was a child. In high school I became interested in mental health and psychopathology. In college I started to explore more of the art therapy field. I was very fortunate to go to a school that had an art therapy degree in undergrad. Combining my love of the practice of art and psychology, and getting to help people in need, it was a perfect fit for me. After that I got a graduate degree in art therapy.

Safe House Image (crayons and markers on paper): "Re-establishing safety is an essential component to working with youth who have experienced trauma and loss. Creating spaces and places where a child feels safe or to depicts what safety looks like to him/her not only helps foster protection and security through the art, but allows for empowerment and a sense of control over this environment. This drawing was created in response to exploring what it means to have a safe home with a child who had been exposed to family violence." How did you get started working with children?
I had some experience as an undergrad doing volunteer placements with youths. I had envisioned myself back then working more with adults, but my real first job was in a residential treatment program serving boys ages six to 16, and at that time, I just wanted experience with people.
Did you end up enjoying the experience?
I enjoy working with adolescents a lot. They're a challenge. They definitely keep me on my toes in that age range. It's just a natural expression for kids to use art. That creativity is very freeing and the imagination is so open at that age. It lends itself so well to the therapeutic process and making art. I love their energy and the inspiration that they bring.

Mask (acrylic paint and markers on paper pulp mask): "Mask making can offer a powerful way to safely externalize emotional states that a child is experiencing. In response to exploring a feeling that sometimes remains bottled up inside; painting or creating a mask can reveal and identify many feelings difficult to describe in words." What kinds of challenges are the children you're working with facing?
In the past I've worked with children that were in the foster care system or had a lot of behavioral and emotional needs that stemmed from early childhood abandonment or neglect. A lot of times their parents weren't able to take care of them. I then became motivated to focus more on trauma in my work.

From there I started to work with children who had been impacted by domestic violence or who have experienced a loss or death of a loved one, whether through illness or suicide or homicide or accident. Working with those two populations really taught me a lot about how art can be used to heal wounds. Currently I work in a shelter with women and children experiencing homelessness, many of whom are trying to transition out of homelessness and some of whom are vulnerable to human trafficking. We help them strengthen themselves, make themselves less susceptible.

Heart Image (tempera paint on paper): "This painting was inspired by exploring feelings through depicting them as a kind of landscape in nature or weather." What does an art therapy session with you look like?
I do a lot of group art therapy. I feel the group work really gives the kids a sense that they're not alone. They're not the only kids who are experiencing these reactions or these responses to the painful things that happened to them. A lot of the job is planning which activities would be most helpful at approaching certain problems.
What activities have you found to be most beneficial?
I like to focus on interventions that will provide safety or reestablish safety for the user. That's really important after traumatic experiences. That sometimes leads to working with spaces of containment, symbolically, or through the metaphor of art.

Also, looking at their own physical responses, their bodies' reactions to trauma or whatever difficulties they are experiencing. Maybe they have stomach aches or headaches or trouble breathing. Using the art to help show that, so they can be more connected to how their bodies are responding, and then explore ways of coping through the art to help with those responses. So art that focuses on self-regulation or soothing or relaxation, through painting or drawing, mask making or things like that. Also using art intervention themes that focus on things like sadness, pain, worry, fear, anger. With these kinds of threatening feelings, it's often easier to explore them through art, than to talk about them verbally.

What advantages, in your opinion, does art therapy provide children over other types of counseling or treatment?
Art making is a natural expression for children. They're very open and ready to engage with it. It really helps build that sense of self and emotional expression. Giving them that at a young age, hopefully while they're still in childhood, will hopefully help them be stronger as they move through adolescence and into adulthood, and be more able to develop those coping skills. There's that innate, imaginative ability that's not so censored in them yet. Adults often say, "I can't draw," which isn't important -- art therapy is about the process, not the product -- but it's nice to work with kids who don't have that anxiety.
What kind of progress have you witnessed in your time working with children?
Occasionally I've seen people I used to work with as adults, still in difficult situations and trying to find their way. I've definitely seen the process come full circle. Changes can also be seen within the art that a feeling -- such as worry, anger, or sadness -- is not as consuming as it was depicted before, or the child's sense of self and their ability to cope has strengthened. Art therapy can be a helpful intervention for stabilizing overwhelming emotional states and crisis situations because of the safe containment it provides.
Can you talk a little about the meaning and importance of Children's Mental Health Day?
This year is actually the 10th anniversary, so Children's Mental Health Day has been going on for a while. I think it's very helpful to have a day spotlighting children's mental health. It fosters a sense of hope for recovery and builds resilience for these issues. It also raises awareness to help with prevention and early intervention, helping children to be less at risk for mental health issues. The day also helps to take away the stigma attached to mental illness, getting that out of there early on and getting children more aware of the mental health needs that they may have.

Suggest a correction

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How Art Therapy Can Help Children Facing Mental And Emotional Challenges

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May 7 is National Children's Mental Health Awareness Day, a day meant to raise awareness of the many children, youth, and young adults throughout the country facing emotional and mental challenges. Th...

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Raising awareness for mental health through art

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Raising awareness for mental health through art

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What makes a charity event a success? This is what I asked myself as I walked into Work-Shop in Fitzroy last Friday to attend Golden the Exhibition. Is it the turn out? Is it the amount of money raised? I pondered these questions as I noted upon entry that the entire space was thriving with people smiling, chatting, laughing, and perusing the framed art along the walls with a beer in hand.

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About 300 people attended the art exhibition within a three-hour period of time, all of them contributing to the overall buzz which encouraged an atmosphere for creativity to shine light on a dark topic. Now generally I would say the amount of people who attend an event is a large factor in assessing what constitutes the success of the evening, however perhaps more importantly it comes down to why people are there.

Golden the Exhibition in particular was a charity art exhibition supporting Australian Youth Mental Health Foundation ' headspace '. The fundamental goal of the night was to raise funds for a foundation that supports and brings awareness to a very serious issue in Australian society. Depression, anxiety, and mental health are non-selective however if left untreated can have serious effects on the development of our youth.

Statistics suggest that on a global scale over 800,000 people commit suicide each year, and the contrast between the sadness this figure evokes and the young faces smiling around me last Friday in support of 'headspace' was deeply evident.

As the event organiser Kate Pullen puts it, "For me a big part of Golden was young people helping to support other young people, and we couldn't have drawn such a crowd without their wonderful work." Pullen couldn't have worded it better. Not only should the attendees be proud of the fact that the majority of the framed pieces sold out within the first hour, but the artists who donated their time and work deserve recognition for wholly applying themselves to such an important cause. Young people helping other young people and connecting through art and creativity to draw focus to deeper issues; that was the true success of the event.

The artists in question were Bianca Cash, Jess Cruickshank, Bonnie Eichelberger, Spencer Harrison, Carla McRae, Ashley Ronning, Eliza Svikulis, Sid Tapia, Marc Martin, Thomas Jackson, Karan Singh, Sean Morris and Alice Oehr, Carla Hackett, Wanissa Somsuphangsri and Jeffrey Phillips, whose creative talents span across mediums of graphic design, illustration and lettering.

These artists and the people who came to support the event were key contributors in creating a wider platform for discussions surrounding mental health issues. As Pullen noted after the event, "We can only hope that by talking more openly about mental health, reducing the stigma that continues to surround it, and supporting organisations like headspace, that those struggling won't feel so alone."

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You can learn more about headspace and the work they do.

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Raising awareness for mental health through art | Desktop

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What makes a charity event a success? This is what I asked myself as I walked into Work-Shop in Fitzroy last Friday to attend Golden the Exhibition. Is it the turn out? Is it the amount of money raised?

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Art Without Barriers - Exhibition Event " Life Without Barriers

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This week our Art Without Barriers program has an exhibition event in the Perth Area. It is being held at 535 Carrington Street, Hamilton Hill from 10am-2pm from the 6th until the 11th November 2015. It is a great opportunity to showcase the amazing work and talent of the artists.

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TeenMentalHealth.Org and the UBC Faculty of Education Launch Online Training Course On October 31st, Teenmentalhealth.org and the Faculty of Education at the University of British Columbia launched the online professional learning program for educators, Bringing Mental Health to Schools: A Curriculum Resource for Grades 8-10.

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A great video by The Foundation For Art & Healing (artandhealing.org). Created by Awakened Films (awakenedfilms.com). If you like this video please support them.

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Avalon painter says art has helped her recovery from eating disordersRod Bennett, Manly DailyJanuary 23, 2017 1:55pmSeven  years ago, Avalon’s Natasha Burbury was hospitalised with anorexia, the lowest ebb in her fight against the crippling illness.But it was art therapy that helped her recover and move forward with life.“I had bulimia and anorexia,” Ms Burbury bravely revealed.“These diseases are often described as ‘voices’ in the mind, which aren’t your own.“I’ve taken those voices a step further to give them a visual representation.“My work is those voices in a visual form. The scenes I have created on the canvas are what I see.”Natash Burbury's WorkShe has also created a solo exhibition called Relapse or Reconnecting, comprising a collection of art directly related to her recovery.Her exhibition, which celebrates art’s ability to provide healing, opens in Mona Vale on February 3.Burbury, 25, said her problem began in about 2000 and that she battled with mental health issues for most of her schooling.“I used art when I was eventually coming out of that long process,” she said.“I feel I am well on the way to recovery now.”Natasha Burbury says art has helped her fight this illness.Professional art therapist Lena Wegenaar, of Queenscliff, said using art as a healing tool provided a channel for creativity, dealing with harmful events or memorable experiences.Ms Wegenaar, who ran Safe Space Art Therapy & Counselling, said art therapy could help provide deep-rooted expression.“If someone is holding something in, then art can bring it out,” she said.“And by putting it down on paper there is something for the individual to look at.”She said art therapy in Australia was recognised as successful in dealing with the complexities of living and recovering from an eating disorder.“I know of people who have benefited from this as the only way they could ‘find a voice’ for their experience,” she said.However, the College of Fine Arts graduate said the meaning of her symbolic work was not immediately obvious to viewers.She used circular patterns in her work to represent the cycles of illness. Another, with repetitive images, was a mountain, to represent climbing.She said works in the exhibition would be accompanied by a piece of text, from which viewers could draw their own correlations.Viewers can draw their own correlations.Ms Wegenaar said the therapist and the client worked together.“The therapist’s role is to help a client become aware of the symbols – and then unpack them to find their meanings,” she saidHealing is about taking away all the shame.”“For me it’s about having a dialogue about the artwork between the client and the therapist.”Burbury believed that while many of the taboos surrounding mental illness had been overcome, there still existed a stigma around eating disorders.“The point of the exhibition is to raise awareness of art as therapy,” she said. “And if a conversation opens up then that would be wonderful.”

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Avalon painter says art has helped her recovery from eating disordersRod Bennett, Manly DailyJanuary 23, 2017 1:55pmSeven  years ago, Avalon’s Natasha Burbury was hospitalised with anorexia, the lowest ebb in her fight against the crippling illness.But it was art therapy that helped her recover and move forward with life.“I had bulimia and anorexia,” Ms Burbury bravely revealed.“These diseases are often described as ‘voices’ in the mind, which aren’t your own.“I’ve taken those voices a step further to give them a visual representation.“My work is those voices in a visual form. The scenes I have created on the canvas are what I see.”Natash Burbury's WorkShe has also created a solo exhibition called Relapse or Reconnecting, comprising a collection of art directly related to her recovery.Her exhibition, which celebrates art’s ability to provide healing, opens in Mona Vale on February 3.Burbury, 25, said her problem began in about 2000 and that she battled with mental health issues for most of her schooling.“I used art when I was eventually coming out of that long process,” she said.“I feel I am well on the way to recovery now.”Natasha Burbury says art has helped her fight this illness.Professional art therapist Lena Wegenaar, of Queenscliff, said using art as a healing tool provided a channel for creativity, dealing with harmful events or memorable experiences.Ms Wegenaar, who ran Safe Space Art Therapy & Counselling, said art therapy could help provide deep-rooted expression.“If someone is holding something in, then art can bring it out,” she said.“And by putting it down on paper there is something for the individual to look at.”She said art therapy in Australia was recognised as successful in dealing with the complexities of living and recovering from an eating disorder.“I know of people who have benefited from this as the only way they could ‘find a voice’ for their experience,” she said.However, the College of Fine Arts graduate said the meaning of her symbolic work was not immediately obvious to viewers.She used circular patterns in her work to represent the cycles of illness. Another, with repetitive images, was a mountain, to represent climbing.She said works in the exhibition would be accompanied by a piece of text, from which viewers could draw their own correlations.Viewers can draw their own correlations.Ms Wegenaar said the therapist and the client worked together.“The therapist’s role is to help a client become aware of the symbols – and then unpack them to find their meanings,” she saidHealing is about taking away all the shame.”“For me it’s about having a dialogue about the artwork between the client and the therapist.”Burbury believed that while many of the taboos surrounding mental illness had been overcome, there still existed a stigma around eating disorders.“The point of the exhibition is to raise awareness of art as therapy,” she said. “And if a conversation opens up then that would be wonderful.”

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Audio guides to boost your mood

On this page you'll find a series of mental wellbeing podcasts or audio guides you can listen to in your own time, in private, to help you through times when your mood is low or you're feeling anxious.

Each audio guide gives you simple, common-sense advice on what you can do to boost your mood.

The Moodzone audio guides are:

Moodzone: low mood and depression audio guide

Moodzone: anxiety control training audio guide

Moodzone: sleep problems audio guide

Moodzone: low confidence audio guide

Moodzone: unhelpful thinking audio guide

http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/Pages/moodzone-mental-wellbeing-audio-guides.aspx

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In Australia, the prevalence of mental health problems among children aged 4-12 years is at most 14 percent (based on parental reports; Sawyer, Arney, Baghurst et al, 2000), which rises to 19 percent among adolescents aged 13-17 years (Sawyer et al, 2000) and increases again to 27 percent among young adults aged 18-24 (McLennan, 1997). Based on these figures, approximately one in four to five young Australians are likely to suffer from a mental health problem, most commonly substance abuse or dependency, depression, anxiety and eating disorders (Australian Institute of Health & Welfare: AIHW, 2003). Comorbidity (particularly substance abuse disorders) is unfortunately the norm in this population (AIHW, 2003). High rates of disability are associated with mental disorders among young people (McLennan, 1997), including impaired work productivity, absenteeism, educational failure and poor family functioning. The Victorian Burden of Disease Study reinforces the seriousness of this problem, demonstrating that for young people aged 15-24 years, mental disorders are the single greatest cause of years of healthy life lost (Public Health Group, 2005).

https://www.psychology.org.au/publications/inpsych/youth_mental_health/