Both in and out of my NYC art therapy practice, the anger, fear, anxiety, and panic that people felt around the November election has not died down. If anything, it has increased as the government is acting more threatening towards fundamental human rights and the values of our country. So many people express feeling scared and the desire to find ways to empower themselves.
Art as Power!
Politics can make people feel small, but art is an opportunity make an active, visible statement. In recent months, there has been no shortage of art shows, art movements, street art and art at marches and protests, giving voice to people who are feeling angry and silenced. UPRISE/ANGRY WOMEN is just one of the many examples of this and it is right here in Tribeca at the Untitled Space.
The show solidifies what I, as an art therapist, know firsthand. Anger is a force that can be harnessed and used in some healthy and empowering ways. And what better way to express anger and to make a visible statement than through art making.
Stay Angry!
In my therapy practice, I will often come to a point with a client when I tell them to “stay angry.” When a person has harmed us, it can be easy to internalize that harm and turn it toward ourselves. For some, this can turn into self-hatred or depression, leaving a long-lasting negative impact on how they view themselves and what their value is. For others, they can get used to mistreatment or feel as though they deserved it, which can lead to staying in unhealthy situations for too long or ending up in similar relationships in the future.
Don’t Get Used to Abuse!
When there is abuse taking place, you should not get used to it, and it should not simply become the new normal. It is appropriate to be hurt when someone has harmed you, and it is important to recognize that mistreatment by others does not define you or your worth. Anger, in the context of injustice, is not only healthy, but it can also be helpful.
Feeling angry helps you remember that what is taking place is not right. Whether it is in the context of your personal life or within the greater culture of this country, if you are feeling victimized, threatened, and marginalized, staying angry is a healthy alternative to complacency or allowing yourself to be made small.
Anger often gets a bad rap because of all of the unhelpful and destructive ways it can be expressed. For women especially, who are taught to not be angry, getting and “staying angry” may feel foreign and deeply uncomfortable. However, shows like UPRISE/ANGRY WOMEN make a bold statement about the deeply positive power that anger can have.
UPRISE/ANGRY WOMEN!
The imagery at the Untitled Space's show runs the gamut, but more than any individual piece, the theme has really stuck with me. The show’s title–UPRISE/ANGRY WOMEN–is clever because it plays with how women who express anger are viewed by our culture. There is a double standard as old as time–a man who expresses a point strongly and with fervor is assertive, while a woman who does the same is a bitch.
Don’t Stay Quiet!
The bullying and intimidation that Hillary Clinton endured during both of her campaigns is a sad example of this double standard. She was often characterized as shrewd, cold, and, yes, even a “nasty woman.” For women of color, this standard is even more unforgiving, and the caricature of the “angry black woman” is portrayed plainly in the news, movies, TV shows, and beyond.
Recently Sen. Elizabeth Warren was essentially told to shut up and sit down as she read the words of Coretta Scott King during a nomination hearing. Sexism and misogyny are ways of relating to women that makes them small and powerless.
Furthermore, the normalization of rape culture as “locker room talk” is meant to make women question harassment and assault to keep them quiet. The female artists in this show display their voices and, at times, their anger. The result is a broad, powerful statement that proves they are not willing to take this threat sitting down.
Channel Anger Into Art Therapy!
UPRISE/ANGRY WOMEN is just one example of the way that anger and art making can be healthy and useful tools. What better avenue to channel anger and frustration than through a creative and visible way such as writing, art, or signage and messaging in protests.
Anger can also be explored in the safe, private space of therapy through both words and art materials. For some, anger can be scary to express, especially for women who have been socialized to not “be” angry. Through therapy, the stigma of being an “angry woman” can be explored and eradicated. Expressing anger can become something that feels safe and healthy.
Furthermore, art materials in therapy can act as a way to hold and contain feelings. The process in itself can be cathartic and the product is an unedited, uncensored manifestation of the artist’s thoughts and opinions.
