Responding to emotions through art: Bethlem Royal Hospital

My visit today to the Bethlem Royal Hospital Museum, a converted mental hospital, was a profound psychological and artistic experience. Not only does the museum popularise the development of mental health, but it also exhibits artwork related to mental health. Behind each piece of artwork lies a rich and profound story, such as ceramic pieces to combat obsessive-compulsive disorder, dining table chairs made for anorexia nervosa, and McDonald's illustrations of postnatal depression.

Mud's 'MRI Scan', with its colourful graphic of the word 'help me', emphasises the theme of the exhibition, 'If only it were that easy to see my cries for help', and I felt a deep emotional resonance with their situation.

During the visit, I kept thinking about how I could incorporate the theme of mental health into my artwork. Is it possible to explore themes related to emotions and mental health in my future works, and to convey complex emotions and psychological states through abstract expression. Learning about the use of art in complementary therapies, I have become interested in how art can be used in psychotherapy. Does this mean that my work can take on a therapeutic nature, helping people to express and understand their emotions? The exhibits from the last century, where psychologists responded to their patients' psychological conditions by asking them to describe blocks of colour, made me realise that psychology and art could be interconnected. I wondered if I could try to use these methods in my own work to convey a deeper message?

The visit to Bethlem Royal Hospital Museum was an enlightening experience. Not only did it increase my knowledge of mental health history and art therapy, but it also inspired me to think in new ways about how I can incorporate elements of psychology into my artwork.