Surrealism: releasing one's imagination

Having originated in the late 1910's and 20's, surrealism became known as a new mode of "automatic" expression with the sole purpose of breaking past all inhibition and releasing one's subconscious thoughts.

Andre Breton, one of the first truly responsible for the movement's outbreak was a poet, critic and trained psychiatrist. The release of his 'Manifesto of Surrealism' in 1924 marked an international movement that spread far beyond art to politicians and intelluctuals.

The psychological connection however is most fascinating. Breton along with others, was highly influenced by Frued's methods of free association, drawing on the private world of the mind to share things typically restricted by society's limitations and norms.
Without dadism a decade earlier and the carefree disregard for tradition that it inspired, surrealism woudn't have the strong foundation that inspired it's radical leaps into the unknown.

I have so much respect for the artists who took the first radical steps in releasing work that they knew wouldn't make sense, that they knew in all likelihood, wouldn't be recieved as well as the typical "normal" landscape or traditional piece.

Dadism and Surrealism inspire an outlook that should be connected to all art work and further more, to all parts of life. Rather than worrying about people's judgements and reactions and editing our performance in accordance to trends of society. we should produce and perform what we're most passionate about, without fear of failing to live up to expectations and instead with the sole focus of using creative mediums as an outlet to free ourselves.

One of Doctor Suesse's infamous quotes rings a bell in this instance:

"Be who you are and say what you feel because those who matter don't mind and those who mind don't matter"

Surrealism is all about letting go and seeing where your mind, or pen and paper take you, which I love because for years and years I've been a doodler and in times where I have no idea what I want to sketch or paint, I'll just start with a few strokes and let my mind go free. It's calming- I can fully see the connection to psychology and from this, the creation of art therapy.