Like all artists, musicians generally have delicate, sensitive minds. It is imperative that they learn to handle the sometimes extreme thoughts and emotions they experience as a necessary part of their creativity. Sotiris Hill is a psychologist and author on a mission to empower musicians by training them to embrace their complicated, oftentimes chaotic inner world and find internal peace through their musical expression. After his illuminating article on psychological support as the challenged artist’s secret aid for success, Sotiris came up with a follow-up that ponders the healing power of musical creativity. Open your mind bare and exposed, then read on…

A very important trait that defines the quality of an artist is creativity. One can say much about creativity its complex mechanics, its sense and purpose, its qualities and the vastness of its expressions. But a very important ‘side effect’ that isn’t directly acknowledged is its therapeutic power.

Yes, creativity heals – first and far most, the creator, and after that, anyone who’s emotionally, spiritually, and mentally connected with the creation. The process of creativity can be one of ‘deep diving’ into one’s psyche, depending on the purpose and the needs that are mostly involved.

An artist is a very sensitive sensor who receives an enormous amount of stimuli, many of which inspire and arise the need for expression. Much of that stimuli can also have a very negative impact, just as it is with every human being. The difference between everyday stimuli resulting in disorders or creativity is a very thin line.

It can be suggested that the transformation of negative-resulting stimuli into inspiration and fuel for creativity is part of a therapeutic process. The desired transformation is a unique process for each person that’s not easily acquired, and more than often not a conscious one! It requires much self-awareness, strong motivation for change, evolvement, and at far most – a goal, a vision, and a passionate, driven life.

A true artist is on a path of enlightenment and passion. Like an alchemist, his pure passion is to transmute lead into gold, and disorder into balance. The process of creativity can be a process of personal catharsis.

All of these influence and positively affect the minds and hearts of all those who are also sensors and are in some kind of need. The connection between the artist and their audience is sacred, but also fragile. As long as there are sincereness and respect towards the sensors (audience) and their healing process, great things can arise.

Art in all its forms can be therapeutic, and artists in that sense are therapists – first of all for self-healing purposes, and eventually – for others.Their tools are creativity and their unique expression through their form of art.

This form of communication and perception of life was, is, and will be the best way of keeping balance in life and evolving to higher states of consciousness!