The benefits of art therapy
Art therapy is ongoing and is not just a once-off or a quick fix.
MBOMBELA – When you meet Deanne Kim for the first time a few words spring to mind: eccentric, artistic, open-minded and lovable.
But it is only when you enter her house in Kaapsehoop for the first time that you realise exactly how eccentric, artistic, open-minded and lovable she really is.
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The walls are decorated with paintings and drawings made by Kim, and traits of a typical artist’s paradise are seen all over.
Kim is not only an artist but an art therapist who, through the use of various art forms, aims to help others with the self-healing process.
She explains that the therapy is ongoing and is not just a once-off or a quick fix.
What is art therapy?
“It is an alternative way of healing through colour and creativity and by using all of your senses,” Kim explains.
She encourages those who attend her classes to draw on their own experiences and adds that you do not have to be broken to attend one of these classes.
“It is all about balancing yourself in the busy world we live in.”
What are its benefits?
You do not have to be a good artist either to participate in one of these experiences. “It is not about art. It is about expression.”
The benefits include learning to rely on all of your senses, learning to deal with anger and resentment by expressing yourself through art, growing through self-discovery and learning to have a positive and determined outlook on life.
As she points out, “You are able to change anything if you change your outlook.”
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