More About Expressive Art

For Indigenous cultures, art was not for only a special few, but for everyone; not separate from, but intertwined with healing and spirituality. Expressive Art integrates this ancient wisdom with our contemporary world.

Expressive Art is a holistic approach to healing, self-discovery and transformation. Increasingly, healing is emphasized less while self-discovery and transformation is emphasized more, although in this context profound healing does occur.

Expressive Art is based on medical research into the role of visualization, inner imagery and the mind-body connection. It is rooted in an understanding of how the autonomic nervous system works, the role of the stress response and how stress impacts the immune system. Expressive art is used to complement and increase the effectiveness of medical treatments for people facing serious and life-threatening diseases, to facilitate emotional healing and self-discovery, and as a guide in understanding your journey through life.

How Expressive Art Actually Works

Research into brain functions shows that we experience things first as images and then translate them into words. Our senses and the right side of the brain take in our experiences and emotions as images, then the left side of the brain translates those images into verbal thoughts. By the time we interpret our images as words, there’s already a filter or distance from our feelings.

Because images are our primary and inner language, they are the most direct way to get in touch with what’s really going on inside. Learning how to work with our inner imagery enables us to both express our true feelings and understand what to do about them. Exploring inner imagery through Expressive Art can put us in touch with our true feelings, show us how to heal from painful emotions and guide us on our journey through life.