Francesca Messina

After obtaining her degree from the Academy of Fine Arts in Rome, she became interested in art therapy. The possibility of studying psychology and applying it to art fascinated her.

Three years of training in the theoretical study and practice of art therapy (at Aspic – Higher School of Counseling and Art Therapy in Rome) allowed her to undertake a personal journey to observe, accept, and change. She saw her creativity flourish. She also understood that art therapy is a means of deeply discovering oneself and making changes by simply using the creative force that resides within each of us.

Art therapy allows one to feel a deep connection with the present moment and with oneself: a sense of well-being settles in the body, time slows down, the inner judge gives way to the true self, and one can let go and express oneself: art and creativity become a source of well-being and self-knowledge.

For her, art is a way to connect with herself and touch a part of her that is well hidden in everyday life. It is the only way she know to express herself sincerely.

In the last years at the Academy of Fine Arts, she became interested in the communicative properties of fabrics and the sense of touch and wrote a thesis on the sense of touch in art, where she analyzed the role of the sense of touch from medieval art to the present day.

During her art therapy studies, she wrote another thesis on the sense of touch applied to art therapy, explaining how the sense of touch can be integrated into the art therapy exploration process.

The interest in the sense of touch and its applications in art and art therapy is the foundation of the creation of several art therapy workshops, artistic performances, and workshops aimed at children.

The manipulation of fabric and materials, painting, and drawing have become her preferred languages for expressing herself creatively and helping others to express themselves.