Quest Books: "Drawing from the Heart" by Barbara Ganim

Author: Barbara Ganim

Publisher: Quest Books

List Price: $24.95

ISBN: 978-0-8356-0832-9

Pages: 152

Year Published: 2004

"Drawing from the Heart" makes a lot of promises within its glossy and often colorful pages, but it is an art therapy book and workbook that will deliver if the reader actually practices it principles. The author of this Quest Books publication, Barbara Ganim, has led a variety of art support groups over the years. With her art therapy book, Ganim makes some simple - yet not always easy - principles accessible to all regardless of their perceived artistic talent.

This book helped inspire me. Within a day of receiving my copy from Quest Books, I had read almost the entire first half of the book. I had done some art therapy before through a monthly support group geared toward women who have survived a specific type of trauma, but still did not consider myself an artist. "Drawing from the Heart" has helped change that, though I have not completed the entire seven-week program.

What is especially great about Ganim's book is it shows some very beautiful colorful artwork by regular people who experienced some kind of pain or trauma in their lives. Some art therapy participants struggled with cancer. Others lost a loved one through death. Some had general fears and other painful emotions. Each example explains in the artist's words how the work helped release a difficult emotion or situation.

Ganim's program through "Drawing from the Heart" requires no art experience whatsoever nor expensive supplies. Getting started with colored pencils or crayons and a sketch pad is possible, though some may want to expand to watercolors and oil pastels.

Another aspect of Ganim's book that is especially helpful in the combination of both drawing and writing. Most exercises require a bit of writing (intention setting) beforehand and then reflection afterward. Light meditation and visualization (though Ganim suggests using the word imagine rather than visualize) are also incorporated. This helps each reader - who hopefully will actually use the exercises - become more attuned to various tools that can help one heal from all kinds of emotional pain and trauma.

Those who have a very difficult situation to overcome will likely need to seek therapy if they have not already done so. "Drawing from the Heart" is not intended to be a cure-all for the most serious conditions. However, art therapy as expressed by Ganim's ideas should be helpful to most anyone who is willing to take the first step and not only read, but also actually use "Drawing from the Heart."