Is Abstraction Really Frightening When We Need Healing?
Updated: April 2026
Before you read this post, I want to give you its context.
This was written in 2022 — one of my earliest pieces on the relationship between art and healing. At the time I was writing about abstraction from the outside — as a physician who understood intuitively that non-literal art forms do something different to the brain than representational ones, and who wanted to make the case that abstract art in healing environments wasn't something to fear.
What I didn't know yet was how deeply personal this argument would become.
I have alexithymia. My emotions don't always arrive in named, linear, verbally accessible form. They arrive as sensation, as color preference, as the particular quality of attention I bring to a piece of art that I can't fully explain but that my body recognizes as true. In that sense, my entire inner life has always operated through abstraction — through the non-literal, the not-yet-named, the impression that carries meaning before the words arrive to describe it.
When I made the Fragments to Fusion collection, I was using abstraction as medicine without calling it that. Every piece in that collection was an abstract rendering of an emotional experience that I couldn't access through language. The art gave the feeling a form. And the form gave me something to hold, examine, and eventually integrate.
That's the deeper clinical argument I hadn't yet built in 2022. I'm building it now — in the companion post that this piece gave birth to.
Read this original post for what it was: a physician making the case for abstraction as a legitimate healing modality, before she became the patient in her own argument. Then follow the link at the bottom to where that argument lives now, fully developed through the NRM clinical lens and the neurodivergent brain fog angle that I couldn't see yet when this was first written.
The clinical development of this original thought lives here: Your Brain on Abstraction: What Non-Literal Art Does for the Neurodivergent Mind in Perimenopause →
Is Abstraction Really Frightening When We Need Healing?
The use of art in hospital design can take many forms, and there are good reasons for doing so that have been uncovered through research. Art based on nature or with recognizable human subjects is typically the safest bet, but the effects of abstract or figurative works are more complex. Is abstraction really frightening, or a powerful tool for recovery?
Art therapy helps people in many ways, including being more self-aware and enhancing their interpersonal skills.
What exactly is your definition of abstract art? It's more than just an optical illusion — it's an emotional condition. Should we truly be afraid of abstraction when it comes to becoming well?
Abstract vs. Abstraction: How Both Art Forms Differ
There are examples of abstract art from prehistoric times. The ancient Egyptian sculpture Slave Girl, dated to around 3100 BC, is a very early example. Using abstract lines and patterns, the artist depicted two individuals in motion, their arms and legs joined in a dance. It's possible that abstract art represents one of humanity's earliest attempts at communicating its innermost thoughts and feelings to others. The goal of abstract art is not to depict objects or scenes as they appear in reality.
Artists working in the abstract genre are free to utilize any combination of visual elements — including color, form, texture, and line — to produce works that are deliberately devoid of literal interpretation.
In addition to bridging cultural gaps, abstract art has been found to have therapeutic effects on both its creator and its audience. The use of art in healthcare facilities is becoming increasingly mainstream, with the United States being among the many countries that actively promote this trend.
Art therapy has garnered a lot of support over the years because of the excellent effects it has on patients' health, and it is an essential component of a recovery strategy.
Sometimes the reason we are feeling down is that we have had too much of the same thing in our lives. In these times, the novel experience provided by abstraction can be a source of healing and joy.
There is a substantial body of abstract art that was developed for the express goal of healing. Abstract art therapy can benefit mental health in a number of ways, including by allowing us to see things from different angles and finding meaning in times of confusion.
One way is through studying the works of artists who turned to abstraction as a means of self-healing under difficult circumstances. Sometimes we can't put a finger on what's causing the pain we're feeling on the inside, but abstract art therapy can help.
Art Therapy and the Case for Abstraction
Even beyond its inherent healing properties, abstraction has other physiological benefits. It has been shown that art therapy can help with pain management, stress reduction, and even cognitive improvement. This could be because of the natural high we get from making art or even just from observing the creative process of others without criticism.
Abstraction aids in physical recovery by providing a safe environment in which individuals may focus on self-discovery and establishing a sense of belonging. Although anxiety and despair are not universally experienced, they are typical among those who feel they do not belong or have a meaningful role in life.
Experiencing painful medical illnesses or treatments can leave children feeling helpless and afraid to express their emotions. Here's where art therapy can be of great assistance to those in need.
Art therapy can be a safe place for individuals to learn more about themselves and build relationships with others. Art therapy often employs collaborative methods that assist patients in finding their niche in society, all the while honoring and valuing their unique qualities.
Reducing stress and refocusing attention away from physical discomfort have been shown to boost health. Those of us who are lonely and hurting can find solace in the company of others who can relate through group art therapy. Everyone involved will grow personally and professionally, fostering more healing than any single individual could achieve on their own.
Expression is a key component of art therapy, and the abstract aesthetic encourages this freedom of expression. Many people find solace and liberation in the fact that there are no strict regulations governing how to depict objects in this style. The combination of art and medicine can improve patients' lives, according to the American Art Therapy Association — which maintains that art therapy can be beneficial for people, families, and communities when administered by trained professionals.
Conclusion
We need to think about art now as a way to get away from the pressures of modern life. As a fine art photographer, my work is more than the sum of its parts. To me, it signifies an attempt to recover while also testing the limits of what is considered acceptable in the fields of abstract art and art therapy.
Want to understand the science behind why environment matters so much during menopause? Start here: What Is Neuroaesthetics? The Gentle Science of How Beauty Heals Your Brain →
The clinical development of this post's original argument: Your Brain on Abstraction: What Non-Literal Art Does for the Neurodivergent Mind in Perimenopause →
Join the Auntie Menopause Circle →
If this resonated with you, you are not alone in this journey. The Auntie Menopause Circle is where women who are done being dismissed come to learn, heal, and find each other.
NOTE: This post was originally published on Ceyise Studios and has been migrated to drstaceydenise.com with an introductory reflection added. The original body of the post has been preserved intact as a legacy document representing Dr. Stacey's earliest published thinking on abstraction as a healing tool — written before she had developed the NRM clinical framework and before she fully understood how her own neurodivergent processing had always operated through abstraction. The companion post develops this original argument fully through the clinical lens.
Originally published on Ceyise Studios. Updated: April 2026.
