Discovering Art Helped Me Heal From PTSD
Artist Holly Moeller uses a quill to create marks with ink, bringing her paintings to life. (Supplied)
Everyone responds to different forms of therapy. At Watersedge, our practitioners use narrative/talk therapy, but they also dive into other methods: play, art and meditation.
Today, fine artist Holly Moeller shares her story about art therapy with us. After a PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) diagnosis, art became her safe haven and a path to healing. Read her story here, and check back next week for part two, where Holly shares three ways art can support your mental health.
Holly’s Artistic Path to Healing
Have you ever felt desperate for something that would give you a brief respite from the negativity in your brain?
Me too. In winter 2021, I went through a physical and mental breakdown. One that forced me to quit my job and left me housebound for months. It felt like a battle getting through each day – the migraines, flashbacks, nightmares, depression and fatigue.
Holly’s first ever painting in progress. “I didn’t have a clue what I was doing but I loved every second of creating it!(Shoutout to the amazing artist Laivi Poder whose painting I used as a template)!”
I was diagnosed with complex PTSD, and I started weekly counselling. This helped enormously, but the long days between sessions stretched out in front of me. I needed a break from the relentlessness of it.
Suddenly, I recalled that there was a set of old acrylic paints from my school days gathering dust in the back of the wardrobe. Perhaps I could paint a picture and see if that would distract me for a moment or two?
I remember seeing the tubes of vibrant colours; the deep reds, the bright yellows, the aquamarine blues. I sat at the kitchen table, pulled up a painting I’d seen on social media to use as a template, and dipped my brush into the water jar.
For a few minutes, the world faded into the background. It was just me and the colours.
I was in a beautiful flow state, watching the flowers bloom before my eyes, cocooned in this creative world where there was life and joy instead of darkness and pain.
For a fleeting moment, things felt safe and good on some deep level that soothed my soul. I couldn’t wait to continue with the painting the next day.
Art became a lifeline during a time when I really needed it. After that painting flowed another, and another. I grew in confidence and skill.
Five years on, I’m in a much better place mental health wise. I am not only a professional artist living my dream of creating artworks as a full-time job, but I can also draw from my own experience to help others find the healing power of art for themselves.
Join Holly’s Studio Insiders list at www.kettleandquill.co.uk/studioinsider
This Precious Aloneness by Holly Moeller
This painting celebrates the beauty of solitude and aloneness. "This Precious Aloneness" See more here
Check back next week for Holly’s 3 tips on how art can support your mental health.
Did you enjoy this blog from Holly? Make sure you read Part 2 here, where she shares her incredible recovery journey with us. For more information on her art and how to purchase pieces, visit her website here. Then join her Studio Insiders list at www.kettleandquill.co.uk/studioinsider.
