Seeking for Rejoicing Which Arises from Creation

—Mental Health Services in Japan Report That Art Therapy Experiences Lead to Awareness and Resilience for the Future—

Abstract

Art is an activity of life that creates the manifested from the unmanifested. Art therapy is its practical application in mental health services. It enables individuals to restore power for living by sharing energies among those who participate in a programme and then touching their true selves in the process of creating works of art. Consequently, they will receive healing and awareness, possibly motivating them to walk away from the past and experience the new ‘me’. Furthermore, they will build a relationship between self and society that is different from the relationship that they had previously. According to results of a survey issued by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare in 2004, one in two persons felt stressed in the past one month. Moreover, one in five would suffer from a mental disorder while living in Japan. As individuals participate in art therapy, they will learn to become resilient. We have been living in an age of uncertainty. Fortunately, it seems that the art of awareness and resilience acquired through an art therapy session can play a significant role for individuals in both adverse and favourable circumstances in a stressful society.