The technique can contribute to mitigating problems experienced by victims of humanitarian crises
Missionaries of the Fraternity – International Humanitarian Federation (FIHF) participated in online training on Therapeutic Drawing, done in seven sessions, and offered by the Emergency Education team of Spain.
The practice of therapeutic drawing could be used both in the shelters under the management of the Fraternity (FIHF), and on missions they are called to assist with, in Brazil or in other regions of the planet.
“This form of working with art can help people who are going through difficult times, such as in a humanitarian crisis, for example, for they can discover their potential and raise their self-esteem. It can bring calm when they give themselves to something new, different than what is being experienced at the time. And if the facilitator focus the sessions with respect and love, this can help the activity a great deal,” explains the missionary Lucía.
Drawing outlines, analyzing feelings
The missionary points out that in chaotic and traumatic situations, the drawing of figures has the person looking at an object, observing it and seeing it as real. “A curved line rather than a straight one, for example, avoids the loss of reality and strengthens inner organization, it helps the person to center themselves. They can recognize the world and love it through that experience of drawing that, mainly, brings tranquility and precision,” analyzes Lucía.
In this type of drawing, people are stimulated into looking outside of themselves, connecting with what they are observing, in addition to exercising their interest in the action, as they create outlines, lines, or a colored surface, coming to a form they can look at.
The idea was to create an environment or atmosphere of the colors of the rainbow, which are luminous, beautiful. “The rainbow brings us joy, a warm giving of love to all beings of the world.” The proposal in this exercise, according to the missionary, is to create a play between light and darkness. “It requires strength and courage to enter the darkness,” she emphasizes.
The process is more important than the result
“The course was very good. We took a “walk” through the art of drawing in a therapeutic way. As each class ended, I felt inner peace,” Lucía tells us, gauging that the process in therapeutic drawing is more important than the result. “It can provide joy and satisfaction, when we perceive that being whole in the action brings surprising results.”
