THE ROLE OF INNOVATION AND TRADITION IN ART THERAPY NARRATION

In art therapy, innovation arises from the here-and-now aspects of the patient (client)-therapist relationship and from the sharing of artistic material. It is a creative growth process achieved in finding and recognizing unexpected solutions on the basis of what we already know. In other words, innovation in art therapy can be the creation of something that is, for oneself and for others, a pleasant surprise. This surprise often stems from a cultural tradition and it is important not to consider creativity as irrational but as a new key to understanding universal and specific elements of our cultural environment.