THE IMPORTANCE OF ART EDUCATION ON MENTAL HEALTH
Submitted by
Katie Crouch
As part of an Integrative Capstone Project in Visual Arts- Studio Arts
December 9,2022
Chatham University
Pittsburgh, PA
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The Importance of Art Education on Mental Health
Across the nation, budgets for schools are being slashed, leaving these schools with a
decision of what to remove to compensate for these cuts. The first thing to go is almost always
the arts. While it may seem like art is not as important as other subjects, art has so many benefits
for elementary school children. It can help develop motor skills, help learn colors and shapes,
and is also proven to result in better academic performance.1 Most importantly, art is extremely
beneficial to children's mental health. It gives them a way to express themselves and embrace
their uniqueness. Art has played an important role in my mental health as an adolescent. While I
gained these skills as a kid, I still utilize the mental health properties that come with doing art to
this day. Would I have picked these skills up without being taught them in school? It is a
possibility but having art classes in school kept these skills consistent in my life. We must
continue to offer art education to children because it teaches them early on important ways to
cope and handle their mental health.
Children and Mental Health
It is important to discuss how children face mental health problems to understand the
benefits art can have. The CDC website describes mental disorders in children as, “serious
changes in the way children typically learn, behave, or handle their emotions, causing distress
1
Lynch, Grace Hwang. 2012. "The Importance of Art in Child Development." PBSParents. http://www.
pbs.org/parents/education/music-arts/the-importance-of-art-in-child-development.
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and problems getting through the day.”2 They also say that the most common disorders in
children are attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety, and behavior disorders.
Typically, these disorders are treated with behavioral therapy along with medication. Parents are
also recommended to go through training for ways to help accommodate their child. For children
younger than six, it is recommended to have just behavioral therapy, because the long-term
effects of these medications are unknown. Children older than six are recommended to have a
combination of medication along with behavioral therapy. These resources can get expensive and
finding help for these services can be a complicated process.
Many children and their families face problems when looking for mental health services.
Children and adolescents can face a variety of mental health disorders, and yet, they go
undertreated. In a study conducted by European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry in which the
goal is finding out why children do not seek help for their mental health, 96% of the children
involved in the study reported that they had little knowledge of mental health services and how
to get help. 92% of children reported they feared the embarrassment and felt ashamed to have to
seek these services. The stigma around mental health in our society paints having mental health
problems in such a negative light.
As a child, I was completely unaware of what mental health even was. I was an anxious
kid who had some eclectic and unlikely fears. I thought the toilet was going to consume me. I
thought aliens were inside the television in my room. I thought I would get left at Toys ‘R’ Us
every time I went with my parents, and while to most kids this would have been the best-case
scenario, I was terrified of this happening. I was constantly on edge for potential danger. As a
2
“Data and Statistics on Children's Mental Health.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, June 3, 2022. https://www.cdc.gov/childrensmentalhealth/data.html.
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child, I did not think anything of this. However, as an adult now who still has these types of fears
from time to time, I can recognize that it is anxiety. It took my initiative to get help for my
mental health, which is at no fault of my parents because they were simply just unaware. I had no
clue how to express my thoughts and feelings, nonetheless, how to recognize those thoughts and
feelings as mental illness. Art provided me with a way of expression.
Art as Expression
Children have quite a limited vocabulary. Because of this, it can be hard for them to
describe how they are feeling or correctly express themselves. When words fail, art steps in. As
the book Art & Early Childhood: Personal Narratives & Social Practices states, “The activity of
making art is a unique form of wordless thinking.”3 Art is a way for children to express
themselves visually and not through words. Expressing yourself through art requires no technical
ability and is a universally understood language; it simply requires getting something onto a
blank canvas. This is especially beneficial for children who have disabilities because it provides
an easy and accessible way to express themselves. We must teach children how to create art
because, without someone to teach them this skill, they will not be able to learn this form of
expression.
Self-expression in art can happen easier for children if it is encouraged by adults. In an
article written for PBS for Parents, the author informs parents on how to encourage selfexpression for art within their children. The article details the proper things to say and not to say
to your child when encouraging self-expression. Something parents are encouraged to not do is
3
Sunday, Kris, Marissa McClure, and Christopher Schulte. 2015. Art & Early Childhood: Personal Narratives &
Social Practices. Occasional Paper Series 31. Bank Street College of Education.
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limit children’s creativity to art lessons.4 While having art lessons can benefit children by
teaching them the necessary techniques, it is important to also practice art in a setting that is not
academic. When doing this, children are free to create something without the pressure of
possibly being graded on it. They are creating art just for the enjoyment of creating art, and from
that, they can create something that expresses themselves. I was fortunate enough to have many
family members that encouraged me to continue practicing art outside of art class. While at my
grandmother's house, she would give me different arts and crafts projects to do, and I always
enjoyed doing them. My parents have always been very encouraging of me to create art, even
still to this day. The push to create art from the adults in my life gave me the motivation to use it
later in life to help my mental health.
Practicing art in an outside setting from school is important for self-expression for a
child's mental health, but art education is the first introduction to this method of expression. Art
classes and lessons are what can hand a child the tools needed to express themselves, and they
can use these tools of self-expression wherever they may please. One setting in which a child can
express themselves through art is through art therapy.
Art Therapy for Mental Health
Art has proven benefits to helping children with their mental health that have been
utilized therapeutically. Art therapy is a mental health service in which an individual is guided by
a professional art therapist through various methods of artmaking. The American Art Therapy
4
Lynch, Grace Hwang. “Encouraging Self-Expression through Art.” PBS. Public Broadcasting Service, n.d.
https://www.pbs.org/parents/thrive/encouraging-self-expression-through-art.
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association's official definition of the practice says that "Art Therapy is used to improve
cognitive and sensory-motor functions, foster self-esteem, and self-awareness, cultivate
emotional resilience, promote insight, enhance social skills, reduce and resolve conflicts and
distress, and advance societal and ecological change." 5A typical art therapy session may include
different media to create art, such as clay, paint, or collage, but the main focus of an art therapy
session is on the process and not the final product. Because of this, no artistic talent is required to
participate in art therapy. Different media is used for different situations. For example, someone
who is struggling with anxiety may use watercolor paints, which are wet and hard to control, to
help cope with life feeling out of control. An art therapist can encourage the person to use this
hard-to-control medium and show that even when it seems like life is out of control, you can
create a piece of art out of it. Methods of art therapy are recommended for many children, in
which the children express themselves through art and not words.
An article from The American Art Therapy Association website says that art therapy
benefits children in many ways: "for example, children with autism often find art a viable way to
communicate; children with attention deficit disorders show an improved ability to focus;
children in cancer wards are soothed by art therapy."6 The article talks about bringing the
practice of art therapy into school and the benefits it can bring children by being in this
environment. For much of their childhood, school is where children can learn the most about
themselves. Teachers also spend a lot of time with children in a setting where they can be put
5
“About Art Therapy.” American Art Therapy Association. https://arttherapy.org/about-art-therapy/.
6
Keane, Clara. “An Expert on School-Based Art Therapy Explains How Art Therapy Helps Children Make Sense of
the Insensible.” American Art Therapy Association, December 12, 2018. https://arttherapy.org/art-therapyhelps-children-make-sense-of-the-insensible/.
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under stress, so the observations they make about a child's behavior are important. Because of
this, school is often where symptoms of mental illness can be detected in kids first, and schools
can be the first to intervene.
Art therapy is also utilized in many children’s hospitals, including our very own UPMC
Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. At this hospital, art therapy is offered for free to all patients,
because they truly believe in the benefits that art therapy can provide to children in their
situations. They are an advocate for the benefits. In a section of their website labeled “How Art
Therapy Can Help Your Child” they state some of the benefits that making art can provide
children with while in a hospital. These benefits include coping with the challenges of diagnosis
and treatments, boosting self-esteem and confidence, and feeling the ability to regain a sense of
control. Creating art is very healthy for children, but it can be even more beneficial for children
who are going through a less-than-ideal situation. Children would not know the healing benefits
of art if it was not for art education.
Creativity Anxiety
Many children are nervous to create art. Creativity anxiety is a problem for many
children, and art education can help ease that tension. The pressure to generate a new idea can
cause a lot of tension. This can cause children to retract themselves from the situation and not
want to create anymore. In an article about creativity anxiety published by the American
Psychology Association, they state that “…anxiety about creative thinking may be a previously
overlooked limiting factor for achievement. Despite the importance of creativity both in the
workplace and in education, no research that we are aware of has investigated the viability of
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anxiety that is specific to creativity.”7Creativity is a skill that is valued within many career fields,
not just artistic ones. Art education can help children exercise their creativity.
For all skills, you get better the more you practice them. The same concept applies to
creativity. The more time you spend thinking of ideas and creating, the less anxiety will come in
times of creation. Even if the child does not want to become an artist, most jobs in life require
some form of creativity. Problem-solving involves thinking creatively. An easy, accessible way
for children to practice creativity is simply by expressing themselves through art. This would
help children ease anxiety when put into problem-solving situations in which they must think
creatively because they have practiced thinking creatively. Of course, this can be done both in
and out of the classroom, but art education can help provide children with this exercise and make
it accessible to them.
Artistic Accessibility
Art may not be accessible for children if it was not for it being taught in schools. Children
in home situations that are less than ideal may not get the encouragement or even the materials to
create art. Art education opens the door for children to learn how to create art, and without it,
they would not see its mental health benefits. Children in disadvantaged situations need art the
most, and without an art education, they might not have access to it. Keeping the arts accessible
to children helps teach them so many skills they will need throughout their lives.
Buying art materials and getting outside art lessons can become expensive. On Michael's,
a well-known craft store, website, there are multiple different art supply kits that you can buy for
7
Daker, Richard J., Robert A. Cortes, Ian M. Lyons, and Adam E. Green. 2020. "Creativity Anxiety: Evidence for
Anxiety That is Specific to Creative Thinking, from STEM to the Arts." Journal of Experimental Psychology:
General 149, no. 1:42
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children. These art supply kits contain the basic materials needed for children to create art at
home, such as markers, colored pencils, and crayons. These kits can range from ten dollars to
even fifty dollars, and it varies based upon the size and quality of the kit. These kits have basic
materials, and if a child wants to take art more seriously and get higher-quality materials, those
are even more expensive. While doing art at home is important for encouraging it as a form of
self-expression, not all families can afford to buy these art supplies for their children. Art
education in schools gives children access to these art materials that they otherwise would not
have had, and it is completely free. Certain art teachers may even let children bring supplies
home so they can continue to create art. One good art teacher is all it takes to introduce children
to this form of expression, and this can provide children with a method of coping with their
mental health for the rest of their lives.
My Personal Experience
I know the mental health benefits of art because I have experienced it firsthand. I have
been creating art since I was young, and my parents put me in art classes. Growing up, I was
always creating art, and it was my favorite hobby. I dreamt of being an art teacher or a famous
artist. When I was 11, my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. It was hard on my entire
family, and as an 11-year-old just gaining a grasp on strong preteen emotions, it hit me hard.
That year began with depression and anxiety struggles that I still deal with to this day. However,
the one thing I would look forward to most was going into my room at the end of the day and
sitting down to draw. Everything in my life was so out of my control, but art was the one thing I
could control. Every brushstroke and pencil mark put onto the paper was all mine. There was
nothing unpredictable or bad that could happen that I couldn’t control, and even if I ended up not
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liking something I created, I could scrap it and try again. It provided a sense of security in an
otherwise chaotic year. Without art education, I would not have known the benefits of having a
creative outlet. I do not know what coping mechanism I would have turned to if it had not been
for art. If there is one thing I can stress to children going through tough situations, it is to take
your pain and turn it into art. You can turn destruction into creation. We must continue to teach
children this.
Most of my work focuses on faces. The ability to express emotions and facial expressions
is something that I take pride in. I never wondered why I was so fascinated by faces and
expressions before until I thought about my artistic journey through mental health. I have been
fascinated by human emotions because I feel them so deeply. Being able to express my sadness
may be frightening but being able to paint someone else who is sad is like putting on a mask. I
get to feel the emotions through the work, but it does not require the vulnerability that expressing
my emotions outright requires.
Selves Portrait
Katie Crouch, 2022
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For my work “Selves Portrait,” I manipulated and collaged self-portraits from my
childhood. When I was a child, I represented myself in several different ways. I colored myself
bright pink and I clothed myself in brightly colored rectangles over my stick-figure body. My
perception of myself has now greatly changed. I know I cannot depict myself as that happy,
bright person anymore because that is not who I am. The gold foil that covers the painting
represents my perception of myself. As a child, I perceived myself as an idealized version of
myself, but now I see my perceptions of myself as rather gilded. I can paint myself still in this
idealized form, but in the end, the layer of gold is thin, and I know everything that lies under the
surface. Now that I am older, I know all the deep emotions and sadness I have felt throughout all
these years, and I cannot depict myself as that happy person anymore. I have lost my naivety for
all the goodness in the world and myself.
Paranoia
Katie Crouch, 2022
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For “Paranoia,” I wanted to find a way to visually represent the anxiety I have felt for
most of my life. I constantly feel like I am being watched with my every move, and that all those
moves are being watched and processed and judged in a way that makes them all wrong. Ever
since I was a child, eyes have always been my favorite subject to draw. I find the details in eyes
fascinating, and I love how every eye is different. I also love all the emotions that can show in
the eyes themselves. Everyone has beautiful eyes, and yet, perhaps these eyes have seen and
processed horrible things happening. Eyes can reveal many details about one's mental health.
The eyes that are looking at someone and judging their every move can also be incredibly sad
and project their insecurities onto others. Eyes are very complex, and I find that fascinating about
them.
Art has been a part of me for as long as I can remember, and I can attest that what drilled
my love for it was having a good art teacher in elementary school. My art teacher was zany,
whimsical, and weird– but most of all, he was awesome. He encouraged creativity among
children in the most unique ways, and he is a large reason why I wanted to delve deeper into art
and create it on my own time. I grew to use art as my form of self-expression. I use art along
with therapy to cope with my mental health now. Creativity comes easier to me because I have
practiced it so much. All the different ways that art can help my mental health stemmed from just
having an art teacher that encouraged me to keep on creating. Much of my research for this
project was motivated by the ways that I have used art to help with my mental health throughout
my life. I aspire to someday be an art teacher who can spark the inspiration that was once
sparked in me
Art education has several factors that make it an integral part of children’s curriculum.
Many of the skills being taught in art classes can be applied to different aspects of life, and these
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are skills that can benefit you for your entire life. Teaching art to children gives them an outlet
for their mental health. Children tend to not seek help for their mental health, and art can provide
an outlet for expression that can help children express their feelings without using words. Art
therapy is a proven beneficial way for children to seek professional assistance for their mental
health. Creating art can ease anxiety when having to think quickly and problem-solve in
everyday situations because it helps exercise creativity. All of these reasons together prove why
art education is an important element in aiding children in their mental health, and I have
personally experienced the benefits of art education for my mental health.
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“Art Therapy: Creative Arts Therapy: UPMC Children's.” Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh.
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Daker, Richard J., Robert A. Cortes, Ian M. Lyons, and Adam E. Green. 2020. "Creativity
Anxiety: Evidence for Anxiety That is Specific to Creative Thinking, from STEM to the
Arts." Journal of Experimental Psychology: General 149, no. 1:42.
15
“Data and Statistics on Children's Mental Health.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, June 3, 2022.
https://www.cdc.gov/childrensmentalhealth/data.html.
Derby, John K. 2009. “Art Education and Disability Studies Perspectives on Mental Illness
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Children Make Sense of the Insensible.” American Art Therapy Association, December 12,
2018. https://arttherapy.org/art-therapy-helps-children-make-sense-of-the-insensible/.
Lynch, Grace Hwang. “Encouraging Self-Expression through Art.” PBS. Public Broadcasting
Service, n.d. https://www.pbs.org/parents/thrive/encouraging-self-expression-through-art.
Lynch, Grace Hwang. 2012. "The Importance of Art in Child
Development." PBSParents. http://www. pbs.org/parents/education/music-arts/the-importanceof-art-in-child-development.
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Mitchell, Douglas. “Creative Healing: Frequently Asked Questions about How Art Therapy
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Personal Narratives & Social Practices. Occasional Paper Series 31. Bank Street
College of Education.