Customer Reviews

Art Heals: How Creativity Cures the Soul

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The creative process, inherent in every one of us, has the potential to do so much more than produce visually stimulating paintings, beautiful music, exciting film, or any of the other expressive products lumped into the category of art. The creative process itself calls upon the innermost human emotions and draws from the infinite well of natural and spiritual healing capabilities. With Art Heals: How Creativity Cures the Soul, Shaun McNiff, a pioneer in the profession and research of art therapy, has combined several decades' worth of essays and contemplations regarding his experiences in the clinical world of art therapy.

Art Heals is not for the layperson, and this is immensely disappointing. Although at times McNiff appears headed toward non-professional explanations of the powerful impact of art's healing aspects, he too often drifts back to speaking directly to those involved in professional art therapy, citing clinical examples of patient recovery and explaining in great detail the aspects of establishing a safe studio conducive to therapeutic discovery. McNiff could have done so much more had he spoken directly to artists and non-artists alike regarding art's capabilities of healing not only one's self but also others.

Intriguing are McNiff's comparisons of art and the creative process to topics of new age and mystical interest. Although he clearly distinguishes his comparisons as metaphors only, it is hard to ignore such direct notations as "images as angels," "aesthetic meditation," "artistic auras," and "connections to shamanism," all topics of deep interest to McNiff woven throughout the essays and consistent across the decades of his work. In shamanic culture, it was thought that dis-ease was brought about by the loss of the soul from the body. It was the responsibility of the shaman to journey through consciousness to return the soul to the suffering individual. McNiff sees himself and other art therapists as performing similar tasks and has even instructed those interested in art therapy in terms of shamanistic rituals.

Throughout Art Heals, McNiff discusses the importance of the creative process most beneficially manifesting its healing powers when performed in a group setting. Inclusive in his techniques are as many art mediums as he can consider, from painting and sculpture to video and drumming. McNiff cites the rhythmic elements of drumming as critical to helping his clients remain focused on the creative process.

One strong criticism of this work is the reproduction of now outdated essays, especially those discussing the use of videotaping during art therapy. It would have been well worth McNiff's while to re-write or re-conceptualize these ideas in new essays mentioning more of what modern technology has to offer. His most recent article regarding technology was written in 1999 and cites Photoshop as a revolutionary medium for art therapists.

The last ten pages of the book could serve as an excellent introduction to a more worthwhile book as McNiff discusses the impact of art healing on individuals outside of the clinical environment.

As a psycho-oncologist and art therapist I recommend this book. Like the author said " the healing through art is about living in tune with the creative spirit". The most important clue is the process. An indispensable reading for those who work with art and healing process.

Here's the skinny on this book: if you believe that art has the power to heal, you need to read this book. If you use art as a tool with any population for personal expression, healing or self-growth, you need to read this book. The bottom line is that art does heal. Creativity does move us forward on our personal journeys towards wholeness, and this book offers powerful recognition of these indisputable facts! --- by Anne Marie Bennett, SoulCollage Facilitator and Facilitator Trainer. I also recommend SoulCollage: An Intuitive Collage Process for Individuals and Groups

Excellent book when you work with an art group, especially when you focus on the emotional healing,allowing us to dare to create our most compelling images, and also to dialogue with them.

This is an extremely well written book on a fascinating topic. Mc Niff writes poetically and succinctly at the same time. A must have for anyone who is seriously interested in the relationship between healing and creativity!

I have enjoyed reading this book, but find that it is redundant. It is about the author's own personal experience of evolving into an art therapist in the mental health field. The book could have been written on half as many pages if he just got to the point or the heart of the matter. It is still a good reference, however.

This author thinks of great titles that move you to buy his books. But this is the last time I purchase one of McNiff's books. I am not fooled anymore by the connection between the promise of the title and the contents.

If you want an academically dry discussion of how art "heals" then you came to the right place. The author does a good job of writing like he is watching a parade going by without ever marching in it. He is slippery about his work as a therapist because it is obvious he has not been a therapist since the 70s. That is okay. But some direct experience with people would have enlivened this book and taken it out of the totally academic realm.

Like one of the reviewers says, if you are looking for how art heals the proverbial soul, you will not find it here. You will find a book good for a classroom of philosophers. No, I did not want an activity or how-to book. I just expected more authenticity.

Shaun McNiff is an Art Therapist who works in the open art studio format. He writes of a "shamanistic" approach to therapy, in which the mind, body, and soul are treated through creative and expressive therapies. This idea is ancient in that most pre-civilization communities there have historically been shaman's, healers, medicine men/women, and other holistic practitioners. The integration of this term into his treatment philosophy and his anecdotal experiences provide ample exploration of the theme of healing. As an art therapist myself, I can recommend this book to anyone interested in, working within, or collaborating with art therapy as a profession.

Art does heal, but that art needs touch, feel, look, so on and so forth.

Donot buy this book by its cover. Cover page gives you a colourful and an impressive hyperlink.

Contentwise, it hardly gives an idea of what is that art that can move, inspire and initiate the process of mindfulness, spiritual healing and therapeutic fulfillment.

Academic and arm chair healing narratives apart, the book could have added real pictures of what art makes this healing.

A few black and white images DONOT satisfy any healer, let alone the end-user.

Look at the contents and make your own decision to own it or not:

Table of Contents: Preface ix Acknowledgements xv ; Part One INTRODUCTION 1 ; ~ Part Two ART IS SOUL'S MEDICINE 9 ; 2 The Creative Space 15 ; 3 Letting Go in a Safe Place 28 ; 4 Embracing Upheaval 31 ; 5 The Early Work, 1970-1974: Anthony, Bernice, and Christopher 34 ; 6 The Art Therapist as Artist 52 ; 7 Aesthetic Meditation 55 ; ~ Part Three OPENING TO IMAGES AND MEDIA 69; 8 The Interpretation of Imagery 75 ; 9 Treating Images as Persons and Dialoguing with Them 82 ; 10 The Challenge of Disturbing Images 96 ; 11 Images as Angels 100 ; 12 Angels of the Wound 112 ; 13 Artistic Auras and Their Medicines 121 ; 14 The Effects of Different Kinds of Art Experiences 137 ; ~ Part Four TOTAL EXPRESSION 147 ; 15 Pandora's Gifts: Using All of the Arts in Healing 151 ; 16 A Pantheon of Creative Art Therapies 163 ; 17 Working With Everything We Have 168 ; 18 A Review of Jung on Active Imagination by Joan Chodorow 171 ~ Part Five CONNECTIONS TO SHAMANISM 181 ; 19 From Shamanism to Art Therapy 183 ; 20 The Shaman as Archetypal Figure 194 ; 21 The Shaman Within 200 ; ~ Part Six REFLECTIONS ON THE SOURCE 209 ; 22 The Basis of Energy 211 ; 23 The Healing Powers of Imagination 221 ; 24 Surrender to the Rhythm 230 ; ~ Part Seven USING NEW MEDIA TO EXPAND CREATIVE EXPRESSION 239 ; 25 Video Enactment in the Expressive Therapies 243 ; 26 A Virtual Studio 255 ~ Part Eight ART HEALING IS FOR EVERYONE 263 ; 27 Art Therapy Is a Big Idea 267 ; 28 An Inclusive Vision of Art Therapy: A Spectrum of Partnerships 271 ; 29 The Way of Empathy: The Practice of Creativity in the Workplace 283 ; 30 The Test of Time 290