Voice from the Congregation

By Henrieke and Cherry in collaboration with Joanne Li

About this blog series

No sector or vocation in Hong Kong escapes the redemptive power of the gospel. As such, we want to capture some of the different perspectives as seen from members of our very own congregation who are working or studying in different fields.

The Gospel and Art Therapy

God as an Artist

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. – Genesis 1:1

Just out of water, God makes rain, mist, waterfalls, hailstones, snow, icicles, great oceans and enormous crashing waves. He designs the twist of a pine cone in opposing spirals of Fibonacci numbers to achieve the golden ratio, an aesthetic technique used widely by artists and designers. God’s use of materials, colour, shapes, patterns, light, and textures on the canvas of life and matter testify to His supernatural artistry. 

And being sculpted out of dust in His image, we also are compelled to create expressions of ourselves, using our hands and feet, manifesting itself in various forms such as dance, visual arts, and music. This ability to express ourselves beyond verbal communication is a gift from God. After all, God breathes through His creation. 

Joanne studies art therapy at HKU, which ‘involves the use of creative techniques such as drawing, painting, collage, coloring, or sculpting to help people express themselves artistically and examine the psychological and emotional undertones in their art. With guidance, clients can ‘decode’ the nonverbal messages, symbols and metaphors found in these art forms, which can lead to a better understanding of their feelings and behavior so that they can move on to resolve deeper issues.’

Joanne discovered her calling for art therapy when during her own struggles, she found paintings from her earlier years, and discovered that they depicted her mental state at the time. This exercise revealed truths about herself and without her initial awareness, she now sees how God has brought her through it all. In turn she now wants to journey with other people to do the same. She decided to use different types of art expressions (painting, dance etc.) to help people express their thoughts and emotions which often leads to a sense of relief. 

Joanne’s artistic expression

People often struggle with words, particularly those who may have mental disorders, and are rejected and deemed abnormal because of it. Some are just not good at expressing themselves verbally, but they can express themselves through other means. Our society, however, has elevated verbal communication over other ones, yet just as some of us might have a hard time painting, some may have a hard time speaking. 

Joanne recalls the time she worked with an autistic 7 year old. “He didn’t look people in the eyes. When we gave him pen and paper, he drew a certain shape repetitively. In response, I drew a similar design. This communication must have helped him feel connected, as he did end up being able to look at me, which is really significant.” Not surprisingly, as someone was able to respond to his way of communicating instead of expecting him to communicate through speech. 

Joanne works with both individuals and groups from different ages. In a group of 8-12, she might for example focus on stress release by giving a space for everyone to express on paper what they might be feeling about a certain issue. Seeing what other people created out of the same subject can create new associations and perspectives, which contributes to healing. For individuals, she tries to go deeper by asking questions that relate to their subconscious mind. She looks out for spacing, shapes, recurring themes and patterns, finding associations between the choices made and the client’s emotions, beliefs and memories.

So, what is ‘good art’? When people think of art and its value, it is often based on the final product and what rich influential people will pay for it. But to Joanne, anything that is meaningful to the person who made it, is good art. It is more about the process than the finished piece. Art, unfortunately, lends itself to critique, which can make it challenging for people to create for fear of being judged. In art therapy, however, the goal is acknowledging that all art is beautiful and that it is more about the meaning to the artist than the luxury experience art brings. The art therapy industry is not without its challenges as it is so different from commercial art. It is difficult to research, hard to measure and there is a lack of widespread acceptance. However, just as many other industries that are not free from brokenness, art therapy can also be used by God to bring about redemption. 

Acknowledging and embracing ourselves in light of God’s grace

While people often do not create because they feel that they are not ‘talented’ or trained artistically, their creations give an opportunity to reflect on what they have made. It is also not uncommon for people to not like what they have created, yet reflection helps someone to see new perspectives which creates a place for healing to take place. Joanne explains how God’s restorative hand is over this process and how He redeems difficulties, even when what has been created shows sin in their life. Expression brings clarity which could be a first step to repentance. God desires to set people free, and gives us the freedom to express ourselves through different means. 

While Joanne is not a full time art therapist yet, she would love to be one day. Her dream is to see people being able to express themselves freely without fear of judgement. This is her way to bless others. She hopes that people can express what and who they are, flaws and all with their God given abilities. After all, God knows us completely and still loves us.