The Art of Letting Go
The Benefits of Art Therapy for Perfectionists
Written by Kylie DeWard
Young adults are reporting significantly higher scores for perfectionism now than they were in previous generations, according to the American Psychological Association. Young adults aren’t the only ones struggling, though. It seems that everywhere, particularly in the media, there is an unspoken message whispering to us, “None of this is good enough, and neither are you!”
In the face of perfectionism, art therapy can serve as a powerful antidote. Art therapy fosters mindfulness, openness, expression, and acceptance of mistakes, all of which are lost in the abyss of perfectionistic thinking. The integration of art in the counseling space is a relatively new implementation, but the benefits have already been shown to be remarkable.
Understanding Perfectionism
Perfectionism is the relentless desire for everything to be correct and flawless. This can manifest in a variety of ways, and differently for each age group.
For adults, perfectionism can look like:
Avoiding tasks that need to get done
Being hypercritical of others
Having acute awareness of how things could go wrong
Feeling apathetic towards achievements
Making a mistake triggers intense shame
For teenagers, perfectionism can look like:
All-or-nothing thinking
Defensiveness/sensitivity to criticism
Often bringing up past failures in conversation
Self-consciousness
Difficulty making decisions / General procrastination
For kids, perfectionism can look like:
Difficulty getting started with a task, an activity, or play (task paralysis)
Big meltdowns after receiving correction
Extreme frustration after setbacks or mistakes
Negative self-talk (“I am bad”)
Vocally critical of others
The growth of social media offers no comfort to these feelings. Societal pressures and expectations only seem to grow continually, which makes the increase of perfectionism in recent years no surprise.
How Art Therapy Heals
Did you know Jackson Pollock’s famous drip paintings were created thanks to an accident? Accidents happen all the time during artistic creation, and that is the beauty of art therapy! Art therapy has been shown to offer healing to perfectionistic thinking. In a safe environment, like those created in a counseling space, art can show us how to adapt and make the most of our mistakes. Rather than seeing an error as a reason to quit, shut down, or belittle ourselves, art shows us that mistakes can actually lead to beautiful masterpieces!
Counselors who utilize art therapy may ask you to express and explore through something like a drawing, a painting, or building blocks. You would be surprised how much insight you and a counselor can gain from observing how you create! This unique form of expression paired with the freedom of creativity restores feelings of control, self-understanding, and self-esteem. It is a beautiful process!
What We Do at 616 Counseling
In a world of growing perfectionism, it is important for counselors to keep up with best practices to properly aid those struggling. At 616 Counseling, we not only provide art therapy services, but we have an entire room of our office dedicated to art and play therapy for limitless opportunities for expression. From an indoor sandbox to countless drawing, painting, and doodling tools, to sensory toys, to fidgets and Legos… we offer countless ways to engage in art and play therapy, so you can decide what works best for you.
If you think you, your child, or a loved one would benefit from this style of counseling, we highly recommend reaching out for support through our website.
