When talking about their creative process, many artists mention that they find their work therapeutic in one way or another – that it calms them when they are angry, enables them to relax, and generally helps them to feel secure and centered in their life. Although it can be a very passionate activity, and certainly specific paintings may be associated with particular strong emotions, there is often a sense in which the act of creation helps to work through those feelings, leaving the artist clear-headed and satisfied at the end.

The use of art as therapy – that is, as treatment in cases of mental and sometimes physical distress – is based on the idea that there is something special about art, that creating something with pens or paints allows individuals to gain perspective [...]