Art is a great stressbuster
Priyanka Banerjee
As an art curator, I see art as a destressing and meditative tool to get out of this depressive phase. In the field of art, it is in common knowledge that colours have healing power and are extremely beneficial to anyone interested in holistic healing. It can be of special interest to art therapists, counsellors, spiritual directors and anyone dealing with people encountering emotional loss or grief.
Colour therapy, also known as chromo-therapy, is a way of treating ailments by using different colours. In recent times, it has been considered as an alternative to medical care. Different colours have different properties like blue or purple colour have anti-inflammatory properties and are used for calming effect or relaxation. These colours are treated as wonderful stressbusters. Green helps in purifying and cleansing while red or orange are considered as invigorating colours.
Thus, art can not only help deal with depression but help you appreciate and focus on the good. One can create a collage of what constitutes a wonderful day or create a drawing that represents freedom or make art out of recycled items. One can a create collage of the old photographs and beautify them using mix media techniques. Fluid or pouring techniques can transport an individual to a dreamland and is extremely destressing.
As staying aloof can be stressful and depressing, art can be brought to good use here as well. Art exercise invariably helps an individual manage stress through imagery and intuition. It helps tap one’s creative instincts and deal with stressful situations. Thus, art is a great stressbuster to even those who do not consider themselves to be inclined artistically.
Priyanka is an art curator and art critic
