ISBN Art as Medicine

Art as Medicine

"Whenever illness is associated with loss of soul," writes Shaun McNiff, "the arts emerge spontaneously as remedies, soul medicine." The medicine of the artist, like that of the shaman, arises from his or her relationship to "familiars"—the themes, methods, and materials that interact with the artist through the creative process. Art As Medicine demonstrates how the imagination heals and renews itself through this natural process. The author describes his pioneering methods of art therapy—including interpretation through performance and storytelling, creative collaboration, and dialoguing with images—and the ways in which they can revitalize both psychotherapy and art itself.


About author(s)
Shaun McNiff is the University Professor at Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he has established a program in Advanced Graduate Studies in Creativity, Imagination, and Leadership. An internationally recognized figure in the area of creativity enhancement, he is the…