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"I'M not very creative".
You can hear yourself saying it, can't you?
You're not alone.
We humans can be so defeatist when it comes to the arts.
Apparently we even love Googling our inadequacies.
Type "I'm not very" into Google and "creative" is the fourth most-popular search result (just behind smart, social and pretty).
But if you learn one thing today, let it be this: You are creative.
"We are all creative beings," says Border art therapist Lynette Callaghan, who points to a child's instinct to "create" -- build Lego, dress dolls -- as evidence.
"Almost everyone has made art as a child.
"The tactile creative nature of art provides an avenue to express, explore and externalise experiences, thoughts, feelings and behaviours."
That's not to say you're a talented artist.
Humans might be innately creative but, alas, not even art therapists will say every creation has artistic merit.
But Ms Callaghan, a former school teacher, says that is unimportant.
"The emphasis is on the process of creating and meaning-making, rather than on the end product," she explains.
Ms Callaghan also emphasises that we don't need to produce bright, sunny, colourful art or objects to gain therapeutic benefits.
" 'If we can find ways to bring forth what is inside us, what we bring forth can save us'," she quotes from the Gospel of Thomas.
"If dark colours and abstraction enables us to express ourselves then the results are positive for our mental well-being.
"The art therapist uses art expression as a window into the subconscious.
The resulting artwork exists as an expression of our individual thoughts and feeling states."
And it's not all about painting and drawing.
In fact, pottery is one of the most popular activities for relaxation and expression.
And the joy isn't just in creating wonky cups and lopsided bowls.
"Many love using clay, which can be very a therapeutic medium," Ms Callaghan says.
Art therapy is commonly used in Australian hospitals with palliative care, trauma and mental health patients.
"I worked with an ex-prison guard who had experienced a traumatic incident in his work environment," Ms Callaghan tells.
"Through art-making he was able to vent his trauma, reduce his anxiety and thus reduce its debilitating effects. It also helped him gain employment as a gardener."
But art therapy can also be practised alone.
You simply need to create.