After talking about A.I. and art, I’ve come to an interesting segue. May is Mental Health Awareness Month. This is very important to me because I feel people ignore mental health all the time. Not only that of other people, but their own. We come up with excuses on why it’s okay to push ourselves towards panic attacks and depression. Medications become the only thing that some people bother to use to gain any sense of normalcy, which isn’t how it should be. There are other things that can be used alongside medications, therapy, and meditation. One of those is:
Art
You can release so much by creating art. It can be a book, poem, painting, photography, video, or anything. By putting your emotions into it, you can come to an understanding of yourself. One of the biggest dangers of mental illness, in my mind, is keeping the darkness pent up. You know it’s there and ignore it. You hide it. This allows it to fester and wait for your guard to slip. Maybe it’s when you’re distracted or as you fall asleep, but you will give it an opening. Then, it will explode out of you. So, it makes more sense to have period releases of the pain, anxiety, etc. into art.
Keep in mind that this isn’t always art that you share. Yes, I write books and poems that I share, but that is my choice. I slip parts of myself into it because I don’t fully reveal what parts are therapeutic to me. Then again, I don’t hide that I have an anxiety disorder and suffer from constant doubts. There are some traumas that I don’t openly put out in the open, but I’ve slipped them into my art a bit. You would never know it though. All of that is my choice, so a person who uses art to maintain and improve their mental health don’t have to do the same.
I feel like a benefit of using art to help with mental health is that you don’t even have to be trained in it. Just let the words, paint, motions, or anything flow. This is art that a person is doing to heal and release any negativity they have. The only audience one has when doing art for this reason is themselves. Nobody else should matter, which is why it isn’t a requirement to share. If it turns into something that you can publish, sell, or hold up to help others then that’s great. Yet, it isn’t the reason why art can be an essential tool for mental health stability and recovery.
Now, I’m talking about this from my own perspective. I know there are studies out there about this. I know there’s art therapy as well, which I’m going to get into next Friday. In fact, I’m going to make a post about mental health and art every Friday for the entire month of May. The rest of the month I’ll be reposting stuff on writing about or dealing with mental health because I apparently did a lot of those. I hope all are informative and can make others both understand the importance of art for mental health and that they aren’t the only ones who may use it as an outlet.
Legends of Windemere 
Great post! Art is very therapeutic. As someone who has suffered from depression, I see art as a great tool. Journaling, writing poems and fiction have helped me to cope many times!
My sister-in-law is a therapist, so she would be happy to know that you’re featuring mental health month on your blog.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Glad you agree. Also that you’ve used art to help you so much. 🙂
LikeLike
What are you going to do for art therapy? You can paint with me. Or I suppose you could try writing a book. I’ve always thought you might be good at that 🤗
LikeLiked by 1 person
Maybe. Though me not always know words good.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Clear across the clearing?
LikeLike
Totally the totality of my total skills. 😁
LikeLiked by 1 person
There is hardly any evidence that you have hardly any skills.
LikeLike
I find writing extremely good at keeping a positive attitude. I don’t suffer from mental issues but have had physical challenges for the last ten years.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Does the writing help with the physical challenges?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Keeps the mind occupied and involved to try and ignore the side effects of treatments.
LikeLike
That’s good.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It is. Right now, the side effects include brain fog, so it is very hard to concentrate.
LikeLike
I feel you on that. Still have it come and go since my first Covid infection.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Not fun for sure. 🙄
LikeLike
You are so right, art and expression help us clear our minds and move beyond what we have struggled with. Not a one-shot thing, of course. Art is more like sun screen that you use as often as you need it.
LikeLike
Good analogy. Although I’m terrible with sunscreen.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hear, hear!
LikeLike
Thanks.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’re welcome.
LikeLike
This is really cool and I’m looking forward to this blog series.
LikeLike
Thanks.
LikeLiked by 1 person