The other day I was on my way to meet a friend for dinner. I had a few extra moments and decided to stop at a used bookstore I’d been wanting to visit. The ART section was right up front. I was in my zone, contentedly browsing for artists or titles I’m currently interested in when my eyes landed on a book called Art and Healing by Barbara Ganim.
As dinnertime was near, I quickly purchased the book and went on to meet my friend. When I returned home, I sat down to read and quickly felt my heart begin to beat more rapidly. Here was my experience with the Anger canvas all laid out as a process. But what really got my attention is the author’s declaration that WOMEN ARE ANGRY and we are still holding it all inside.
She goes on to describe the many negative effects that this has on our life, our relationships and our health. Holding anger inside can literally make us sick. And using art as a way to express not only anger but also the complex layers of our inner worlds is an extremely powerful tool for healing. And for revealing.
Even though none of this was real news to me, I had one of those life-changing moments where I felt my whole world open up: all the pieces, all the answers coming together into one cohesive picture: art and images are powerful tools for transformation and healing.