Healing

The art works in which artists’ inner world is expressed authentically can heal the viewer. Perhaps the true feelings and wounds of the artist as revealed in the art works allow the viewer to see one’s own inner self, and that process can lead to healing. That is because it is healing to discover, accept, and embrace the hidden things from inside yourself.

Whenever I look at my finished art work, I confront myself and my life in the past and present. Each part of the art work reminds me of some events in my life, my emotions, my feelings, and my good or painful memories. It says to me about every particle of my life including those which are not good about me or the minor things that have made me what I am. Even though I still felt desperate at times, I can search for beauty in my entire life through the satisfaction of my art. It is amazing that only a piece of art work can make me reflect on my life deeply.

The process of making art is like living my life. Unexpected colors or torn, broken parts while making art sometimes give me embarrassment and even desperation. In the past, I just gave up on the work and threw it away. However, after realizing that my work can be a symbol of myself or my life, I started to overcome my need of starting over my work. I tried to look hard for what was beautiful to me and what it gives me satisfaction as if I were living my real life.

As a result, all of my work looked like me. It was interesting to discover this. I think the more I concentrated on my work, the more it resembled me. It is like the more I take out others’ judgments or thoughts from my life, the deeper I can make myself to be natural to who I am.

Making art can, therefore, be a door to express a person’s inner world. When the art process is only for oneself, and not others’ assessments, a self-healing can start from the inside since creating art itself has a power of healing. Furthermore, people can start their healing processes through interacting with the art works in which artists’ inner world is expressed authentically.