Art therapy, a chill branch of psychotherapy, is all about calming the mind and leveling up mental well-being. It covers stuff like painting, novel scribbling, poetry jams, doodling, carving—basically, all the creative vibes.
Kampung Jelekong, ranking high as one of Bandung Regency’s coolest tourist villages, is a hub for a bunch of rad artists. We’re talking painters, puppet masters, puppet creators, dancers—the whole creative entourage.
Art’s Good Vibes on Mental Well-being
Those good vibes from art are hitting different in Kampung Jelekong, especially with the paintbrush crew. Iman Budiman, the head honcho and owner of the Budiman Art Gallery, breaks it down.
“Psych-wise, painting is like a mental spa day. The act of putting brush to canvas gets us in that chill zone,” spilled Budiman.
“Being a painter, there are times I’ve felt the need to vibe with the right moment, the right headspace, to nail my artwork. When that moment clicks and my head is in the game, that’s when the magic happens,” he added.
Iman Budiman, the guy everyone calls Kang Budiman, has hosted folks from all over, even international peeps. A lot of them roll in to learn the art of painting. Kang Budiman spills the beans on how your mental mood influences what goes down on the canvas.
“Some visitors come to soak up some wisdom. In our sessions, I break down the art game and how our souls get in on the action. So, yeah, it’s like a mental spa trip for them,” he shared.
Kang Budiman says your mental vibe and mood spill into your artwork. “Your mood sets the tone for your art. It shows up in the colors and strokes. Our bodies are tuned in. When you’re feeling those mellow vibes, the color palette changes. Usually, it’s heavy on the blue since it’s all about energy and links up with your mood and heart,” he broke it down.
Art Therapy: A Psych Pro’s Take on Art Vibes
But does putting paint on a canvas actually vibe as mental health therapy? Clinical psychologist Veronica Adesla lays down some truths on art therapy.
Veronica spills the tea that not every creative gig is a therapy session. It’s usually the artsy stuff that’s all about chilling stress that packs those therapeutic punches.
“Artists, when they pick up the brush with a mission—to let out emotions, put specific images out there, spill thoughts, tell life stories, channel feelings, and link what they feel to their artwork—that’s when it gets therapeutic,” Veronica cleared things up.
Hospitals have even caught on to the art therapy wave. Veronica agrees that art therapy can dial down pain levels and dial up the motivation to bounce back.
“Here’s the deal: when we spill out emotions and pain through art, that artwork is like a pain diary. Then, we craft another piece that’s all about our strength, helping us deal with that pain. We draw things that make us happy, stuff that brings good vibes. When we think about that, it brings joy, and, you guessed it, lessens the pain. That’s the technique,” she spelled it out.
Veronica puts it out there that art therapy isn’t a one-size-fits-all. Some folks might vibe better with other therapy flavors like cognitive therapy, and that’s cool too.
“For those with an artistic soul, vibing with art-related stuff, having a thing for the arts—this could be a top-tier move. It all comes down to what someone vibes with. If you’re all about art, feeling that connection through art to express yourself, then this therapy could be the real deal,” Veronica wrapped it up.
