One of the many benefits of art therapy is that it serves as a bypass for the thoughts that keep us stuck in our patterns. Have you ever talked your way into convincing yourself you’re right? Or analyzed a situation to death and still feel unsure what to do? The mind is very powerful and especially in our culture many of us tend to think our way through life instead of feeling.

When I say art bypasses thoughts I’m referring to the emotional and unconscious material that comes up when we create. So many times I’ve made art and been so surprised at what I’ve created as it’s not something I would have consciously made. I’ve been in situations where I’ve been so sure about something and then processed more deeply in art only to find a deeper truth. Art is known for using the right side of the brain where intuition, creativity, and emotion live. While it’s more complicated than that, art uses a different part of the brain than we normally function with in our daily lives. If you’ve ever lost yourself in art, where your thoughts fade and you lose a sense of time then you’ve experienced that magical shift.

If your’e curious about how you can access these deeper parts of yourself in art all you have to do is be open to possibilities and try on an attitude of curiosity. It may take some time to learn to trust the process, and like anything practice helps strengthen your intuition and feelings.