Expressing and showing true feelings might not be easy for some because it seems to be taboo in some cultures and settings. That’s why it’s useful to have mediums for people to help them identify, and understand their psychological states and processes, and articulate their feelings. The more enjoyable the activity is for them, the better because through it they can express themselves well. For some, writing and drawing is fun and fascinating, so it’s practical to use these to help them express themselves. Moreover, writing and art offer a lot of benefits aside from self-expression. It can help develop social skills and address aggression issues, trauma, and emotional disturbance.
Writing and art therapy can help children with chronic illness, post-disaster trauma, and aggressive behavior. In a study conducted in Indonesia, writing and drawing expression has been used to help children aged 9–12 years old express what they feel in good and bad situations and afterward. These Indonesian children have chronic illness, post-disaster experience, and behavioral problems. To conduct the activity program the children were given blank papers, pencils, and coloring tools. They were asked to write and/or draw anything they wanted. After which, they were instructed to name and score their present feelings from 1 to 10. Then, they got written positive feedback, including the ones from the therapist for positive support. Results of the study showed that writing and drawing are useful for children to express their emotions such as being happy, sad, angry, or afraid. It also helped them to manage their feelings and relief, and show positive affirmation. Moreover, it enhanced positive behavior, particularly tolerance and optimism. Because it enhances their positive psychological state, writing and art expression have been found useful in supporting children’s psychological well-being. (1)
Arts
During the program, the kids were able to express their optimism in the artworks they created. Also, they were able to articulate their hopes such as surviving, and that some help would come to save them. After art therapy, select children showed lower aggressive problem scores. (1)
Writing
The kids were also able to express themselves during writing activity. Some say they are happier at home than in the hospital because they can watch TV. Others expressed their hospital observations such as not being able to sleep because many children cry loudly because they fear being injected. Some kids have articulated their hopes of going home. During the follow-up, some kids shared having experienced relief after writing because they were able to express their sadness, happiness, and anger. Some of the most remarkable notes documented were “After I write, I feel relief because I can fill out my sadness and my happiness and my anger.” and “I usually forgot what has happened today, but then I wrote and feel so relief after.” (1)
Facilitating guide and writing prompts
Before starting a writing and art program, you can show some references, drawings, paintings, or any clippings to children to inspire them and make them see that it’s doable. Then you can tell them to write or draw what they think about yesterday or today.
Reference:
- (1) Utami D.S. Children’s Art Therapy Through Writing and Drawing: Case Study In Indonesia. October 2014. Conference: 2nd International Symposia The Biopsychological Basics of Life in Education and Health. doi:10.13140/RG.2.2.22564.07046
Further readings:
- (1) ‘Ali, N. H. & Utami, D. S. (2013). The Effectiveness of the Book “Pelangi Hatiku” to Reduce Aggression among Elementary School’s Students (in Indonesian). Jurnal Intervensi, 5(1), 59–74.
- (2) Kumara, A., Utami, D. S., Yuliani, G., & Andriani, D.R. (2003). Writing and Drawing as Therapy Medium (in Indonesian). Jurnal Psikologi, 30(1), 1–28.
- (3) Sweet, M. A., Heyman, G. D., Fu, G., & Lee, K. (2010). Are There Limits to Collectivism? Culture and Children’s Reasoning about Lying to Conceal a Group Transgression. Infant Child Dev., 19(4), 422–442.
- (4) Utami, D.S. & Kumara, A. (2013). The Book “Rainbow of My Heart” as a Medium to Manage Hospitalized Children’s Emotions. In E. Witruk and A. Wilcke (Eds.), Historical and Cross-Cultural Aspects of Psychology Band 4, (pp. 355–372). Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang GmbH.
- (5) Prawitasari, J. E. (2000). Pengembangan Metode Deteksi Emosi pada Pasien Rumah Sakit Umum. Research Report. Unpublished. Yogyakarta: Fakultas Psikologi Universitas Gadjah Mada.
Ciele 