asha international mental health

We Give Hope

Art helps us expreslittle girl with braceletss our deepest selves even when words fail us.

Years ago, I was hospitalized after a suicide attempt. The only thing that kept me alive was the daily visit by my daughter and husband. While I desperately wanted to see my daughter, I was deeply troubled that she would be traumatized by her visits to the psychiatric ward. And, so each day, I created a little gift for her – a necklace, a bracelet with beads, stained-glass Christmas ornaments, or a teddy bear made of yarn. My daughter is now a young woman and it warms my heart that she cherishes these gifts I made for her and remembers her visits to the hospital with fondness not fear.

I offer my deepest gratitude to the occupational therapist in the hospital who taught me that even amidst pain, I could create objects that brought joy to another person.

I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Jeffrey Sparr, Co-Founder of Peace Love Studios and was inspired to learn how he uses painting to combat anxiety. Jeff is a man on an audacious mission – a mission to make mental illness cool. Not cool to have, but cool to support.

Art heals. Art makes us whole. So, go ahead and tap into your creativity and enjoy the healing power of art.

The post The healing power of art appeared first on Shadows in the Sun by Gayathri Ramprasad.

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