ART THERAPY ACTIVITY

"Drawing" Out Your Emotions

Art therapy activity

"The creative process involved in the making of art is healing and

life enhancing".
~American Art Therapy Association Mission Statement

Art therapy activity...

This page will help you get started with your art therapy projects.
We provide a supplies shopping list, make suggestions for
creating a peaceful "healing place", and describe several projects
to get you started. We suggest that you begin with an Art Journal
or sketchbook as explained below.
As you begin to express your emotions through images, you will
discover your inner voice-- the voice of your heart. Using art to
express this voice will enable you to connect, maybe for the first
time, with your deepest feelings and emotions. Expressing them
through color, form, shape and texture releases their hold on you,
clearing the way for healing to begin.
Another value of art as therapy: it gives you an enjoyable respite
from your griefwork. And let go your critical inside voice that says
things to you like: "Don't waste paint", or "You should be doing
something else". Art making is a valuable and life enhancing
activity. Allow yourself the freedom to explore and experiment and

use as much material and time as you want. You may even be
surprised at the results!

What Do I Need To Get Started?

Art therapy activity...
Where to get this stuff? Most of it can be found in the office supply
section of WalMart or the Dollar Store. Some of the more
specialized (and fun) tools must be bought at a craft place like
Michael's, or an art supply store. Look for "art supplies" in the
yellow pages.
Art therapy activity
Here's what you'll need to get started:

All purpose sketch pad (11x14 or 14x17 to start with)

Oil Pastels (Cray-Pas); Box of at least 12 colors
Set of colored pencils
Set of thin-line felt-tipped markers in several colors
Artist' drawing pencils, soft lead like 2B or 4B, and sharpener
Gum eraser and white eraser
Crow Quill pen and bottle of black India ink; this is really cool!
(tip: you must burn the tip of a new crow quill pen with a match
or candle before the first use)

Now, where to set up a healing space where you can do

your artwork?

Try to find a quiet, private spot where you can work

undisturbed or with few distractions. Make this place
pleasant and restful. Light some candles or even incense.
Bring in some of your favorite comfort items, photos,
memorabilia, some cut flowers.

Look at your artwork sessions as classes or "lessons" where

you are working to connect with your soul. Commit to one or

two sessions per week, or even daily if you find you really
enjoy and "get into" it.

Pop in a CD of some soothing music, soft instrumental, easy

classical or "new age" would be best. Nature tapes are also
nice; readily available at bookstores or even WalMart. No
harsh, jarring music or songs with lyrics, as the words invade
the creative "imagery" left-side areas of your brain.

Okay, Now What?

There you are, all your shiny new art pencils sharpened and
sketch pad open. How do you get started? There's two ways you
can go with this:
1. Unstructured, spontaneous creation. Just pick up a pencil,
crow quill or pastels and start making a picture, or
2. Start with a question or intention in your mind. Try this
technique:
Art therapy activity
As you start each exercise, take a few moments for some "guided
imagery". Get comfortable, put on some soft music, close your
eyes and focus on what you are attempting to accomplish with
this session. For example, if you are going to visualize "anger",
attempt to see the colors and shape of that emotion in your mind's
eye first.
Then open your eyes, choose the best medium, and get started.
The images will come. You want to draw or paint an image of
what your emotion looks like. And there is no right or wrong way
to visualize it. Just work at it and trust your own way of coming to
an image. It'll happen!

When you are done, take a good long look at your new creation.
Do not analyze or criticize it, but do ponder it. What does it tell
you? On the backside of the page, put the date and give your
picture a title. Then write a few sentences from your heart about
it.

Nurture Your Inner Child...

Color A Mandala!

What's a Mandala?
The word "Mandala" is Sanskrit for "whole world" or "healing
circle." It's an intricate or simple design of colorful curved shapes
with a prominent center.
Mandalas were originally used in Eastern religions as symbols to
help people meditate, and for protection and healing rituals.
The practice is now popular in the Western world with
psychologists. Coloring or painting mandalas provides comforting
rhythmic activity; soothing relaxation and stress relief. It is felt that
the beautiful drawings work on the subconscious to make you
more centered and calm.
The psychoanalyst Carl Jung saw the mandala as "a
representation of the unconscious self," and believed that

mandala paintings helped him identify emotional disorders and

work towards wholeness in personality.
Remember how comforting it was to color when you were a child?
Why not get yourself a book of mandalas today and experience
this calming artistic activity...