Art and psychology are disciplines that may have points in common. Indeed, some currents of psychology have found in the art a research objective of remarkable interest. In this sense, some studies in psychology have researched the work of artists in their dimension of creators in order to analyze the artist’s mind.
The psychology of artistic interpretation
The creator of a work of art is someone especially eye-catching to psychology . Thus, an actor, a dancer or a musician interprets what other artists have already created. Psychologists who are dedicated to this discipline try to understand the mental mechanisms that put into operation the interpreters of a work of art to successfully execute it.
In the psychology of art, the creative impulses of artists are studied and, at the same time, the psychological theories that best fit these impulses are analyzed.
There are several objectives of this discipline:
1) Helping artists to control their emotions, for example, when faced with stage fright;
2) Stimulate your motivation to overcome stress;
3) Reduce anxiety levels before performances;
4) Helping in professional development;
5) Teach mental relaxation techniques to face moments related to interpretation.
the imagined rehearsal
This technique is relatively new and is based on the performance, for example, of a theater actor, who performs a rehearsal mentally and not in a real way. This practice has the advantage of reserving energy for performance in front of the audience.
The relationship between psychology and art
Although the psychology of art is focused on performers, it should be noted that psychology and art have been closely linked throughout history. It is worth remembering that in Greek theater the spectator felt purifying and therapeutic emotions through catharsis, on the other hand, psychoanalysis was a source of inspiration for surrealist artists of the early twentieth century.
Psychology techniques are applied in sports, business and medicine
Psychologists study the mental processes related to human conduct . Thus, psychology is designed to improve athletes’ performance, human relations in a business context or to help medical professionals to treat patients.
