Our art therapy project Art Club is a cycle of psychological meetings that take place in an amazing atmosphere of warmth, comfort and goodwill. Today we talked with the creator of the Art Club - Nadezhda Barana - and learned from her the answers to all the questions that you may have if you decide to join our art therapy club. - What is the Art Club and why is it needed? — The art club is a series of classes using various art therapy techniques. Everyone is invited to attend. It is needed in order to diversify the life of its participants, enrich it with impressions from communication, from performing creative tasks, from contact with their inner world, from psychological ideas. We also want to acquaint people with the existence of such an interesting direction in psychology as art therapy, allow participants to try how suitable this method is for them, and interest them in psychological development and growth. - How can Art Therapy help an ordinary person? What issues can be solved using this method?—The fact is that creativity is a natural human ability and need, the same as the need for communication, relaxation, or impressions. Creativity is a way to show your uniqueness, your vision, your feelings. Often in our busy and fast lives, people do not have the time or opportunity to engage in any creative projects. The art club provides participants with such an opportunity, while its difference from art studios and master classes is that the products of creativity are then discussed in order to understand something about themselves, their psyche, their life. In the art club format We do not set the task of solving the psychological problems of its participants, but only to meet them, to think, and these questions are of the widest range, relating to self-esteem, dissatisfaction with life, the presence of conflicts, and much more. - What will the participants of the Art Club do? - On art club, participants are offered a topic that will be explored during the lesson. An art therapeutic technique is selected for this topic, and there are a lot of them. Participants are provided with materials for creativity, and are asked to make either a drawing, or a craft, or a collage or something else on a given topic. Then there is a discussion and analysis of how this work reflects the state of its creator, how it is connected with what is currently happening in his life, what contradictions appeared in it, etc. - What is the most pleasant thing for you in the Art Club? - For The most pleasant thing for me is the feedback and gratitude of the participants at the end of the lesson, if a person leaves with some idea, new information, understanding something about himself. There are classes at the end of which the group is in a general uplifted and joyful state, and this is very pleasant for the coach. I also really like to see what unexpectedly colorful, expressive works are created by people who have nothing to do with professional art. I never cease to be amazed at what creative and aesthetic abilities sometimes lurk among the residents of our city! - How are the classes structured? - At the beginning of the class, there is always a greeting and the participants express their requests. Then I try to do a little warm-up, and then we move on to doing the main technique. Most of the time is spent discussing the work received and drawing conclusions about how it reflects the current life situation. At the end of the lesson - sharing, that is, an expression of their impressions of the lesson, what the person leaves with, etc. - What questions do the participants come with? Often the participants come because they lack creativity in their lives, and they feel a desire and need do something like that. The most common requests in classes are problems in relationships with a partner, searching for one’s place in life, sometimes unresolved problems with parents “come up”, fears, dislike of oneself, problems with accepting one’s femininity, and others. - Last year you conducted 12 classes at the Art Club. Which ones do you remember most?