From Subconscious to Self-Consciousness Through an Art Therapy Method-Based Example

Taking into consideration different art therapy theories about effects and processes, this article concludes that art interventions lead to coherent self-consciousness through the integration of subconscious emotional and somatic experiences with conscious thought and self-narratives. We explored whether an art therapy-based self-help online task (ATB-SHOT), using a simple projective task (a squiggle task), is able to target the development of coherent private self-consciousness. The task used doodling as a visual art in combination with two expressive writing processes—story-making and reflective writing. We performed a qualitative content analysis of 43 participants’ texts connected to their artworks. We found that an easy art task opens up subconscious themes, first through the kinesthetic experience and sensory input of emotional squiggling, and then by gestalt form-making and symbol formation. We also showed evidence of coherent self-consciousness improvement through integrated somatic awareness; engagement in the present or mindful acceptance of the here and now; self-reported states of flow; the ability to bear ambivalence in an accepted self-concept; and enhanced self-reflection in individual lifespans. This self-consciousness is also mirrored in a coherent self-narrative, which integrates the life story with events, emotions, and motivations.