Art as Medicine: Therapeutic Arts for Better Self Development
Ance Gricmane
Art therapy is an interdisciplinary field combining psychology, neuroscience and creative practice to support mental health, emotional resilience and personal development. Studies show that creative activity can reduce stress, improve cognitive flexibility and strengthen emotional regulation.
Art-based approaches are increasingly recognised within healthcare and policy frameworks worldwide. In Switzerland, physicians can prescribe museum visits to support recovery and mental wellbeing. Canada has implemented museum therapy programs where healthcare professionals collaborate with cultural institutions to support patients through guided engagement with art.
In the United Kingdom, art and health initiatives were recently presented to government institutions by Jameel Arts & Health Lab, contributing to the growing recognition of creative practices as methods supporting wellbeing in contemporary healthcare systems.
Art and creativity also play a role in scientific innovation. Since 1962, NASA has invited artists to collaborate with scientists and engineers, recognising that artistic perspectives help expand human imagination and communicate complex discoveries. International art therapy and arts-in-health events, including recent gatherings in Singapore, further demonstrate the global expansion of creative health practices.
This session introduces key principles of art therapy followed by a practical masterclass demonstrating how creative methods can support emotional awareness, resilience and wellbeing within community environments.
Mg.Art Ance Gricmane
Mg.Art | Artist | Educator | Systemic Coach (ICF certified) | CEO & Founder of Emotion Lab
Mg.Art Ance Gricmane is a multidisciplinary artist, educator and systemic coach whose work explores the intersection of art, psychology and community wellbeing.
She holds a Master’s degree in Art (Mg.art.) from the Art Academy of Latvia, where she specialised in painting, drawing, digital and video arts, as well as art pedagogy andmethodology. She also studied Art Therapy at Riga Stradiņš University, Faculty of Rehabilitation, focusing on psychology, art therapy techniques and professional ethics.
Her doctoral research at the Art Academy of Latvia further explores contemporary artistic practices
and art history.
Gricmane’s exhibition history includes Latvia, Sweden, Belgium, Russia, Belarus, Cyprus and Italy, reflecting an international artistic practice that continues to evolve as a personal visual language. As she often says:
"Art is like a mirror where you can see your own soul.
Alongside her artistic career, she has collaborated with professionals across various sectors — including IT specialists, legal experts and financial consultants — providing creative consultancy for institutions such as Rigensis Bank (2018–2020).
She has also worked as a docent and lecturer at several academic institutions, including the University of Applied Sciences Latvia, the American University of Cyprus (Larnaca) and the University of Lancashire (Larnaca). Her international teaching experience includes leading masterclasses in Lebanon at the American University of Technology, as well as workshops for NGO leaders through partnerships with organisations such as the British Council Latvia, Radisson Blu, and the accelerator New Door.
In 2019, Gricmane founded Emotion Lab, a social enterprise dedicated to developing therapeutic art programs and creative strategies that support emotional intelligence and mental wellbeing in both personal and professional environments. Through Emotion Lab, she has spent over seven years working with individuals and organisations worldwide, using art-based methods to support life transitions, resilience and self-discovery.
Today, her work combines artistic practice, education and coaching, positioning creativity as a powerful tool for emotional awareness, personal development and community transformation.