The Soul Thinks In Images
The Soul Thinks In Images
When art is created, there is a purpose to why the act of making art is repeated again and again. To return to repetition in art-making is to return to the soul, to the need to capture and express what is innermost and intangible.
Thoughts, emotions, feelings, and sensations are innermost and intangible to each person and are the basis of creating a natural language of expression. London (1989) quotes the process of making art as a “visual expression as a natural and full language to every person” and sees the creative purpose as a means to support “uncovering sources of inner worth”.
Inner worth is based on life experiences and ways of being that no one else really has or is. Some may be similar to others, yet people with many threads of connection are still different.
Art is valuable because the keeper of that art is the custodian of someone else’s inner work that comes from their inner worth. This is not simply speaking to technical skill, but the life being lived out and from the outflow of that person’s heart, the seat of spirit and soul, poured into the art itself.
The heart of art is the artist’s expression of true living and being. This seems to be a spiritual endeavor more than not, and, as a spiritual practice, purposeful.
I write this to encourage those who may not consider themselves artists to see themselves as living works of art. There is art inside. Art captures living embodiment. The means of expression create purpose. It is the pursuit of truth through building a relationship between the innermost and the intangible. The art is the evidence of the innermost and the intangible.
I think being more in wonder and awe of art making and the purpose of art becomes something sacred and integral the more I create my own art, admire others’ art, or witness it as an art therapist in session.
To think in images, to feel in images, to exist in images, is soulful creation.
Art, Expression, and Art Therapy
Art can offer a way to express what feels difficult to name, hold, or fully understand. Through image-making, reflection, and the creative process, art therapy creates a space where the inner world can become visible, tangible, and more deeply understood.
Art therapy supports emotional expression, insight, and healing—especially during grief, loss, life transitions, anxiety, or emotional overwhelm.
Book Recommendation
“No More Secondhand Art: Awakening the Artist Within” by Peter London
(no affiliation or commission associated with this recommendation)
References
London, P., Rubenstein, K., & Walz, K. (1989). No more secondhand art: awakening the artist within. Shambhala.
If You Feel Drawn to Creative Expression
Perhaps the soul does think in images. Sometimes emotions, memories, grief, hopes, and questions arrive as sensations, symbols, colors, or impressions long before they become words. Creative expression can offer a way to listen more closely to those experiences and give shape to what feels difficult to explain.
Art therapy provides a space to explore what is innermost and intangible through both creative expression and conversation. Whether you are navigating grief and loss, a life transition, emotional overwhelm, anxiety, or a desire for deeper self-understanding, art therapy can support reflection, meaning-making, and connection.
Learn more about:
• Art Therapy for Grief and Loss
• Art Therapy for Children & Tweens
If you are curious about how art therapy may support you, I invite you to schedule a complimentary 20-minute consultation to explore whether this approach feels like a good fit.
When words are not enough, support is still possible.
Other blog posts to explore and read:
To explore my art and art-making process, I invite you to visit the Gallery.
© 2026 The 3 Brushes, LLC. Created by The 3 Brushes Art Therapy. All rights reserved. www.the3brushes.com
