I'm an art therapist and definitely got into the field because of how much making art has helped me with negative feelings. I can get lost in a painting for hours, and at the end I find that the gloom has lifted, at least a bit. I see my patients, mostly suicidal teens, start group looking sullen and I can watch their moods brighten as they work. It's not a cure, but it's a fantastic coping skill.
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