The power of art therapy

Through Art therapy students were able to express their moods. The Covid pandemic struck right a the beginning of our Life Lab school year, it created a sense of uncertainty and posed a challenge to learning with lessons having to adapt online. Art therapy became a really useful way for our teachers to analyse, and bring out, students true emotions, their fears and hopes for the future. Some students likened themselves with the pandemic, it demonstrated to us the impact forced isolation and Covid had, and continues to have, on young peoples lives.

In painting, various metaphors emerged; someone represented himself as a lion, an example off strength, someone else like a sloth, an example of slowness, even a rabbit. Through animals they were able to express their strengths and weaknesses. With the lesson, “Reflections on my face”, students had the opportunity to use touch instead of sight, and this allowed them to describe themselves, leaving out any kind of judgement. The last lesson, “Emotional Silhouette”, was certainly the most important on an emotional level. Students were able to give free rein to the deepest emotions with the awareness that they all feel the same feelings, and therefore learned that if something is faced together it is easier to accept or overcome it.