Art as Therapy
As previously mentioned, there are three keys that come together to form the concept of video game development functioning as a form of self-therapy: video games as art, video games as therapy, and finally, art as therapy, or the idea being that if video games are art, and art can function as a therapeutic action, then the creation of video games can be seen as therapeutic, and the added bonus of the unique medium of video games helps to facilitate a therapeutic response all by themselves.
It should be noted that the concept of art as therapy is not art used in therapy, and art as therapy isn't exactly the clinical application of art therapy. The latter two are extremely important in their own right, but here, the focus is more on the general concept of creation as being therapeutic, which, as was defined previously, an action or a method allows for one to examine themselves and come to a greater understanding for their own emotions and worldview, and perhaps even helps them overcome some metaphysical obstacle they were facing.
While art therapy is still a relatively young application of psychology, the concept of art as therapy is one that has been recognized for quite a while : it has been heralded art as a way to empathize with others through creation, and called a way to exorcise emotional excess, or come to an understanding of often negative and pressuring emotions. The core of art as therapy, however, is the marriage of these two ideas: through art and creation, one is able to understand themselves better, as well as find a creative method that acts almost akin to a heat sink for tumultuous emotions: something that can take the pressure off of the whole. In broader terms, art is a tool, for both expression and comfort. In many cases, creation stems from the inability to communicate ideas or emotions just by speaking them, and so art in many ways becomes an extension of one's self.
There are often seven core psychological functions of art identified in its study: remembering, hope, sorrow, rebalancing, self-understanding, growth, and appreciation. While all of these aspects are certainly important in their own right, I'd like to focus expressly on self-understanding and growth.
As a whole, self-awareness is kind of a fickle thing. We mainly achieve an understanding of ourselves and our values through our interactions with others, which are in turn informed by past experiences. It's not the easiest thing to sit down, by ourselves, and contemplate our motivations for the actions we do, or the set of beliefs that we hold that often determines our reactions to events. This is where the concept of art as therapy—or more broadly, creation as therapy—comes into play most powerfully. While it is not true for everyone, creative activities often allow us to express ourselves in ways we cannot typically, for various reasons: perhaps we just can't figure out how to put what we want to say into words, or maybe there are some feelings that we want to talk about but aren't expressly appropriate for a public conversation. Through the act of creation, we can delve into those ideas, either consciously or subconsciously, and come to a greater understanding of ourselves through this introspection.
It need not always be the expelling or exploration of these deep thoughts that make art therapeutic, however: purely the action of creation often provides comfort and centers the self, because it is an active engagement with something else that results in something concrete. No matter if it is a painting, a drawing, or some sort of craft, creating is by no means passive, and it's the participation with the world around you, and the people around you, to take your energy and create something with it that is the core of art as therapy, to take negative energy and make anything positive with it: connections with others and the self through creation.
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