Enhancing creativity through group art therapy

Abstract

This chapter describes how embracing other creative modalities and incorporating coping skills and inherent strengths within group art therapy can not only provide expression and processing of emotions in an effort to enhance well-being, but also promote and enhance a more creative lifestyle. The use of creative thinking and actions can enhance a person’s life at any age, both in the workplace and in the home environment and can be infused into an everyday lifestyle. However, it can be particularly challenging to incorporate creative endeavors into everyday life after a significant life event such as a serious medical diagnosis. This chapter also provides synopses of several art therapy program sessions and half-day workshops in an oncology setting. Interventions were designed to assist patients or participants in thinking “outside the box” as a way to identify and express their emotions around treatment and diagnosis and also to assist participants in reframing their lives with the inclusion of a cancer diagnosis by using creative art therapy interventions. Participants were encouraged to use innovative, creative techniques to express themselves in hopes that they would continue to explore creative means of expression beyond the workshops. A description of the field of art therap and group therapy and some basic principles of art therapy practice are also provided as background information to those unfamiliar with the field.