Art as a Stabilizing Force in an Unstable World

During times of collective uncertainty, many escape into and find relief in the arts.  

This is especially obvious in times of political turmoil, rapid technological change, cultural polarization, and public health crises.

There are many paths to find relief through the arts; when overwhelmed, many turn to rewatching favorite movies or TV series, reading, listening to music, creating, or appreciating art. These are usually nervous system responses to external uncertainty. When established structures feel unstable, and change happens quickly, art offers a space where complexity is welcome, and it becomes easier to regulate our emotions. 

Clinical work depends on orientation to guide the process. There are numerous theoretical frameworks to draw on to help clinicians find stability in their work, including attachment theory, psychodynamic and object relations, narrative theory, trauma frameworks, neurobiology, family systems, and cultural lenses, among many others. These offer a map for guiding care.

Clinical work is inherently challenging. However, during times of collective disruption, therapists are also impacted and stressed. Clients bring their personal histories, but also global dread, cultural grief, and big questions that have no answers. The noise of the world seeps into the therapy room and the maps may be hard to find.  

This is where the healing power of the arts enters the clinical arena. When incorporated alongside clinical and theoretical tools, the arts help broaden our perspective and strengthen our inner knowing.

What the Nervous System Finds in Creative Work

When the world feels unstable, there are also physical reasons many people, including clinicians, turn to the arts. Our nervous systems appreciate coherence and rhythm, helping reinforce stability and calm.  Immersing oneself in the appreciation of music, literature, or the arts offers an escape and provides a sense of calm. The arts offer a path towards finding calm.  

A song has a beat and a sense of return. A painting shows balance and tension. A story has a shape—even if it is not linear, it still moves forward. These forms provide patterns and structure during uncertain times. For those who spend their days with others’ fear, anger, and grief, creative outlets can be soothing.

Orienting to creative work, whether through consumption or creation, provides an outlet and helps emotions flow. There is no need for it to be productive; it simply offers other ways to process experiences, integrate feelings, and regulate emotions.

Practices for Clinicians (and all of us)

Here are a few ways to consciously engage with art, as support, rather than just consuming content: 

Choose one piece and stay with it.

Choose one poem, painting, song, or film scene that matches your current emotional state. Lean into the feelings that arise, without censoring.  Ask yourself: What emotions resonate with the art? How do they move through my body as I sit with this?

Use art as a check-in, not a task.

After a tough day, identify something special and incorporate it into a transition ritual. It could be a favorite song, a few pages from a novel, or simply making marks on paper with no goal. Use it to ask yourself, “Where am I right now?” instead of, “How do I fix how I feel?”

Journal from an image.

Pick an image or a line from a poem that resonates in your heart. Write freely for five minutes, finishing one of these prompts: 

“This  ___  touches something in me that remembers…”

“If this artwork could speak to the part of me that feels most tired (or insert any emotion), what would it say?”

Let art into consultation.

During peer consultation or supervision, invite vulnerability. Tune in to yourself and invite reflection on what comes to mind.  Ask: “If this situation were a scene in a film or a painting, what would it look like?” This broadens your perspective and honors your emotional self while still maintaining your clinical professionalism.

We hope these practices help you remain emotionally attuned to yourself and simultaneously present for your work.

Times of upheaval have always led to creative responses. The arts offer companionship and ways to move through challenging times.  The arts do not eliminate uncertainty, nor do they replace careful thinking, ethical action, and strong clinical work. However, turning to the arts in uncertain times can be a regulating choice. It helps you stay connected to depth, nuance, and meaning when usual routines feel stretched. 

Throughout history, people have embraced creativity amid uncertainty and life-changing situations. You are part of that tradition. Embrace the tradition!

by Dr. Amy Vail and Alli Fischenich