Art as Therapy

States of chaos and uncertainty are major psychological factors in stress and anxiety. Having to make continuous choices is another. Nature’s self-organizing capacity, which manifests as visual patterns, potentially unlocks for us the possibility of discerning a sense of order, connection, and meaning that stressful psychological states would otherwise prevent.

Artistically, we can cultivate this awareness by creating form from a lot of small intuitive strokes. It is analogous to creating significant shifts in life by way of lots of small decisions.

Thus, learning to sustain small choices in the face of uncertainty through a drawing practice creates a calming and meditative effect.

Seeing these small choices transform into a beautiful form and become a part of a larger whole creates a sense of deep inner trust in our own ability to self-organize, to be the creator of our own life, as opposed to its victim.

By learning to speak Nature’s creative language of change and transformation we attune ourselves to our own natural patterns of being and becoming.

We are part of Nature – we are one with Her.

Her creative power flows through our veins, comes in and out with our breath. She speaks to us constantly — we only need to attune to the rhythms and cadences of Her speech.

Art is an embodied language through which our experiences can be codified and gain meaning. It is also a way to connect to creative power of Nature and to step into the creative flow of the Universe. Change is constant. Future arrives with every instant. Time is a measure of change. Universe is creating the future in a continuous flow. How do we participate in this flow? As a co-creator or as a victim of circumstance?

A key function of “art as therapy” is to allow an individual to connect with the universal creative flow, to tap into it and become drenched in its joy. Most importantly it is to viscerally realize one’s own power to channel and direct its powerful currents.

The power to create IS the power to create the future.

“Art as therapy” uses the artistic process to help the individual to reconfigure and to self-organize based on universal creative principles in order to fully transition from the role of “the victim” to that of “the creator”.

Andrey Tamarchenko is an artist, educator and a lover of Nature who has been practicing meditation for 29 years. Combining these four practices into one became “art as therapy”.

Fee: $125 per hour, 2 hour session recommended.