Art Therapy: Visual Journaling
Visual journaling, like photography within art therapy, is part of an individual’s interpretation of their emotional feelings or trauma. Journaling and writing down thoughts and personal struggles have been popular tools in psychology. In art therapy, visual journaling or art diaries are often used to help patients explore feelings and experiences (Malchiodl 2010).
The beauty of this style of art therapy is that there is no right or wrong. Visual journaling can be collages, words, drawings, paintings, or whatever form of artistic self-expression that gives a voice to mental, physical, and emotional healing (Malchiodi 2010). Keeping a visual log of thoughts and feelings could help pinpoint emotional and trauma triggers.
A great example of visual journaling can be found in the story of Danny Gregory. The YouTube channel "SkechBook SKool Danny’s Essays" devels into the inspiration of why Gregory took up an art diary. When tragedy struck, Danny’s wife was paralyzed; he left a 9-5 job to become her caretaker. He felt helpless. As the months passed, nothing changed in his situation, although he believed he had turned over every stone looking for answers to help his wife. Finally, one day, feeling overwhelmed looking at the endless bottles in the medicine cabinet, he just began to sketch what he was seeing. Hours passed as he sat and just drew his surroundings. As he drew, he began to feel the stress lift off his shoulders; for the first time, he started feeling peace. The next evening he walked into the living room, and seeing his wife sleeping on the couch, he began to draw his wife. He felt as if, for the first time since the accident, he could see her and not just the tragedy. Visual journaling and sketching helped Gregory to find emotional healing from trauma, exemplifying the whole point of art therapy.
Work Cited:
Gregory, Danny, director. The Sketch Book That Healed Me. YouTube, 16 June 2021, https://youtu.be/K1Mf2XQhbog. Accessed 25 July 2022.
Malchiodl, Cathy. “Cool Art Therapy Intervention #4: Visual Journaling.” Psychology Today. Sussex Publishers, 15 June 2010, http://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/arts-and-health/201006/cool-art-therapy-intervention-4-visual-journaling.
