Is Art a Medium to Portray Your Inner Feelings?

Is Art a Medium to Portray Your Inner Feelings?

Art has been used throughout history as a way for people to convey emotions, communicate thoughts, and even record history. Above all that, art has been the medium for many people, both artists and non-artists alike, to express themselves. It may come as no surprise to you to learn that art can be one of the most effective tools to portray your inner feelings.

This expression of an artist’s inner feelings is one of the core aspects of visual art. It is what artists and art lovers have come to enjoy and praise in art. You have come to love the serene delights portrayed in the abstract works by Agnes Martin. You have felt the anguish and angst of Francis Bacon through his works. Tracey Emin has shared her feelings about universal emotions through her drawings, installations, videos, and other works.

The exposure of one’s inner self, thoughts, and feelings as a subject matter in art can be called "confessional art." It is a contemporary art form that took shape in the late 20th century. Confessional art concentrates on intentionally revealing the artist’s private self and encourages the artists to intimately explore their innermost – and sometimes confidential and/or controversial – feelings, sentiments, and experiences.

Used as a medium to portray your inner feelings, art can be a therapeutic activity that can be used to help not just artists, but everyone else to communicate, fight off stress, unload their anxieties, and analyse the different sides of their personalities. Expressing your innermost emotions also helps to improve your mental health as well as the physical and emotional well-being, no matter how old you are. Psychologists as well as art experts believe that artistic self-expression improve people’s conflict and problem resolution skills, develop good interpersonal skills, manage and regulate behaviour, reduce anxiety and stress, boost self-esteem, and develop self-awareness.

Here are some artistic self-expression that could help encourage truthful self-expression, analysis of different emotions, and the portrayal of one’s inner feelings.

·         Word Art

If expressing your inner feelings out loud is something you find difficult to do, this is an artistic activity that could help you out. Choose words, phrases, or sentences at random to spontaneously draw or collage. It is a fantastic art project that is, at the same time, very revealing of what you are feeling at any given moment. You can use a free-form coloured background for your word art and use watercolour paint, pastels or even cut-outs.

·         Self Portrait

To honestly evaluate your inner feelings, ask yourself questions like, "Who am I?" or “Who do I want to be?” Then, create an expressive self-portrait that concentrates on your inner state rather than your outer physical appearance. This particular exercise is ideal for people who are trying to make important life decisions.

·         Intuitive Painting

Many feelings, especially the most intense ones, are difficult to put into words. Many people brush these feelings aside and turn to destructive activities like spending money on useless things, drinking, and other distractions. When people ignore what they feel, a substantial amount of their vitality is taken away. Learn how to channel this into your artwork. The more you paint, the more you express your inner feelings, and the more you accept each feeling. Listen to each of your feelings and tackle them one by one through intuitively painting. Use one colour or one representation at a time to develop a self-awareness and peace in ways that will surprise you.

Expressing one’s inner feelings is not an easy task for many people. Some people would rather write these feelings down or channel it through other media, such as poetry, music, or visual arts than say it out loud. This is what art is about: the portrayal of a person’s innermost thoughts and feelings. After all, according to Jean Norvy, "Art is an infusion of inner feelings and thoughts executed in an original style."

Art Shed Online

© Cindy Kent and Art Shed Online, 2015. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Cindy Kent and Art Shed Online with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.