“Art and Wellness: The Importance of Art for Aboriginal Peoples’ Health and Healing” is a document prepared for the National Collaborating Centre for Aboriginal Health by Alice Muirhead and Sarah de Leeuw. The document outlines the benefits of art therapy as a means of improving mental and physical health in Aboriginal communities, in addition to its role in reviving traditional Aboriginal arts.
Muirhead and de Leeuw argue that art therapy methods help patients to relax and to gain enhanced self-esteem and self-confidence as a result of the creative process, which ranges from conception to the development of a final product that can be shared with others. The authors also point out that many traditional Aboriginal arts are collaborative in nature, which assists in building and strengthening relationships between individuals and the community.
An important benefit of art therapy in promoting wellness in Aboriginal populations in particular, is the opportunity for patients to express themselves in ways that might not be perceived as threatening. Some Aboriginal cultures view the doctor/patient model as an inequitable balance of power, and patients are reluctant to speak truly about their experiences. Art, therefore, provides a more accessible middle ground, where feelings can be expressed in non-verbal and potentially more indirect means.