THANKs for visiting, MISHRM ATTENDEES!
Let's Art About It (A Resource partner of mishrm), is a woman and minority owned and operated LLC that uses art therapy and creative expression to develop fresh perspectives and practice new patterns that lead to personal and professional wellness and growth. THIS PAGE INCLUDES HOW RESEARCH SUPPORTS ART THERAPY FOR EMPLOYEE MENTAL HEALTH, as well as ways we can sUPPORT your employee mental health and development needs.
OUR CLIENTS INCLUDE:
HOW WE CAN HELP
VIRTUAL CORPORATE WORKSHOPS
Our board certified art therapist and organizational/industrial psychologist curated workshops are excellent for employee mental health and team-building, as well as for development needs such as career pathing, renewing vision, and diversity and inclusion.
ART THERAPY SUPPLIES + ON-DEMAND PACKAGE
Our supplies and on-demand packages can be mailed directly to employees and include an online portal with on-demand videos of art techniques and prompts that promote mental health and overall wellness. Great as a supplement to our workshops, or on their own!
FREE ART THERAPY WORKSHOP FOR TRANSFORMING STRESS
Join us on Tuesday, November 9, 5-6pm EST, for a free art therapy based experiential workshop for HR professionals! Shazia, Founder and CEO of Let’s Art About It LLC, will guide you through an exercise to help release, manage, and transform stress, as well as practice tools to build resilience. No art skills required, and only a paper and pen needed to participate!
WHY ART THERAPY?
EFFECTS OF ART THERAPY ON STRESS AND ANXIETY OF EMPLOYEES
The findings of this study suggest that art therapy for employees is a preventive measure for a person to understand stress situations and to manage their anxiety, react adequately, and cope with stress, thus improving the quality of life by creative means.
BRAIN RESEARCH SHOWS ARTS PROMOTE MENTAL HEALTH
Mental health issues affect nearly half of the global population, at some point, by age 40. Add to that, recent challenges of the pandemic for maintaining mental wellness, managing fears and uncertainty, and one thing is clear: it’s time to think differently when it comes to how we engage our minds.
HOW MAKING ART HELPS YOUR BRAIN
For a lot of people, making art can be nerve-wracking. What are you going to make? What if it ... sucks?
Studies show that despite those fears, "engaging in any sort of visual expression results in the reward pathway in the brain being activated," says Kaimal. "Which means that you feel good and it's perceived as a pleasurable experience."
“WHAT DO you NEED today” MANDALA (MISHRM EXPO ACTIVITY- THE SCIENCE)
“Mandala” is a compound word in the ancient Indian language Sanskrit that combines the words “Manda” (meaning center) and “La” (meaning accomplishment), and refers to teaching individuals about their center and essence, being authentic with themselves, and achieving a peaceful essence (Quinn, 2014).
How it Helps
Circles pass directly to the brain’s visual cortex without intermediate processing (Horowitz, 1983), which gives them an advantage over other forms competing for our full attention (Wertheimer, 1959).
Drawing inside circles represents what people are thinking in the present moment. It helps take them inward by making them concentrate on the act of drawing itself, and in that process find peace of mind from the uncertainty and change they are experiencing (Fincher & Johnson, 1991).
Mandalas can thus help integrate the different parts of ourselves, understand the essence of life, and lead a life that is more centered on our purpose (Jung, 1973).
Knowing our purpose can help us have a greater understanding of the strengths we can bring to our teams.
Mandala Research Findings
Increases the subjective well-being of the general population (Pisarik & Larson, 2011)
Enhances self-awareness and elevates the negative mood of healthy adults (Babouchkina & Robbins, 2015)
Improves self-competence and self-awareness among professionals, reducing burnout (Potash et al., 2014).
Alleviates stress (Elkis-Abuhoff, Gaydos, Goldblatt, Chen, & Rose, 2009)
Improves the coping skills and resilience (Sandmire, Gorham, Rankin, & Grimm, 2012)
Lessen symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety (Henderson, Rosen, & Mascaro, 2007; Sandmire et al., 2012).
Helps gain a better understanding of non-verbal communication (Cox & Cohen, 2000).
References
Babouchkina A., Robbins S.J. Reducing negative mood through mandala creation: A randomized controlled trial. Art Therapy. 2015; 32: 34 39https://doi.org/10.1080/07421656.2015.994428
Cox C.T., Cohen B.M. Mandala artwork by clients with DID: Clinical observations based on two theoretical models. Art Therapy. 2000; 17: 195-201https://doi.org/10.1080/07421656.2000.10129701
Elkis-Abuhoff D., Gaydos M., Goldblatt R., Chen M., Rose S. Mandala drawings as an assessment tool for women with breast cancer. The Arts in Psychotherapy. 2009; 36: 231-238https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aip.2009.04.004
Fincher S.F. & Johnson R.A. Creating mandalas: For insight, healing, and self-expression. Shambhala, Boston1991
Henderson P., Rosen D., Mascaro N. Empirical study on the healing nature of mandalas. Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts. 2007; 1: 148https://doi.org/10.1037/1931-3896.1.3.148
Jung C.G. Mandala symbolism. (3rd printing) (R. F. C. Hull, Trans.) Princeton University Press, Princeton1973
Pisarik C.T. & Larson K.R. Facilitating college students' authenticity and psychological well-being through the use of mandalas: An empirical study. The Journal of Humanistic Counseling. 2011; 50: 84-98https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2161-1939.2011.tb00108.x
Potash J.S., Bardot H., Wang X.L., Chan F., Ho A.H., Cheng C. Mandalas as indicators of burnout among end-of-life care workers. Journal of Applied Arts & Health. 2014; 4: 363-377https://doi.org/10.1386/jaah.4.3.363_1
Quinn K. Mandala art: Inter-professional mindfulness education and journaling techniques for self-awareness and self-transformation. American Association of Integrative Medicine, Springfield, MO2014 (Retrieved from http://www.aaimedicine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Quinn_467.pdf)
Sandmire D.A. Gorham S.R. Rankin N.E. Grimm D.R. The influence of art making on anxiety: A pilot study. Art Therapy. 2012; 29: 68-73https://doi.org/10.1080/07421656.2012.683748
Wertheimer, Max. 1959. Productive Thinking. New York: Harper.