Resources about making art in difficult times

RESEARCH & REPORTS

• Fancourt & Finn (2019). WHO Scoping Review: “What is the evidence on the role of the arts in improving health and well-being?” Over 3,000 studies show that art plays a major role in the prevention, promotion, and treatment of illness across the lifespan. Free full text: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK553773/
• Kaimal, Ray, & Muniz (2016). “Reduction of Cortisol Levels and Participants’ Responses Following Art Making.” Art Therapy, 33(2), 74-80. 45 minutes of art-making significantly lowered cortisol in 75% of participants, regardless of skill level. Your people know this one, but it’s worth resurfacing. Open access: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5004743/
• Stuckey & Nobel (2010). “The Connection Between Art, Healing, and Public Health: A Review of Current Literature.” American Journal of Public Health, 100(2), 254-263. Reviews music, visual arts, movement, and expressive writing. Published in a major public health journal, not an art therapy journal, which gives it extra weight. Free full text: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2804629/
• Ho et al. (2021). Mindful-Compassion Art-Based Therapy for Reducing Burnout in Healthcare Workers. Frontiers in Psychology. RCT showing significant reduction in mental exhaustion and improvements in self-compassion. Directly relevant to your audience as helping professionals. Open access: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.744443/full
• Tjasink et al. (2023). Systematic review: Art therapy-based interventions for burnout and psychosocial distress in healthcare workers (2023). BMC Medicine. Covers response art, mandala-making, and art-based debriefing for clinicians specifically. Open access: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10552408/
• Martin et al. (2018). Creative Arts Interventions for Stress Management and Prevention: A Systematic Review (2018). Behavioral Sciences. Covers art therapy, music therapy, dance/movement therapy, and drama therapy. Open access: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5836011/

Art Therapists

• Creativity in Therapy blog: “Fighting Burnout Through Creative Expression” by Carolyn Mehlomakulu, LMFT-S, ATR-BC. https://creativityintherapy.com/2021/10/fighting-burnout-through-creative-expression/
• AATA: “Healing the Healer: Artful Strategies for Sustainable Practice” CE session page. Distinguishes caring burnout from meaning burnout. https://arttherapy.org/news-healing-the-healer-ce-session-helping-mental-health-professionals-navigate-burnout/
• International Journal of Art Therapy editorial (2024): “Healing trauma and building empathy through art therapy.” Opens with the acknowledgment that we’re living through “an unprecedented convergence of crises” and traces how art therapy responds. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17454832.2024.2418226

ART AS RESISTANCE

• Carnegie Magazine: “Art in the Time of Crisis” (2020). Traces how artists have responded to pandemics throughout history. The AIDS crisis parallels are especially pertinent. https://carnegiemuseums.org/carnegie-magazine/summer-2020/art-in-the-time-of-crisis/
• The Art Districts: “The Role of the Artist in Times of Crisis” (2025). Recent. Quote: “Art may not fix the world, but it can guide it, hold it, and help it breathe.” https://www.theartdistricts.org/news/the-role-of-the-artist-in-times-of-crisis
• Katerina Canyon on Medium: “Art as Resistance and Survival” (2025). Personal essay connecting childhood coping through art-making to the current political moment. https://medium.com/poetickat/art-as-resistance-and-survival-how-creativity-helps-you-navigate-modern-challenges-5a7968a612c4