Everyday therapeutic art activities will give you a much-needed creative outlet to unwind, express yourself, and allow the formation of new thoughts. The last one, the formation of new thoughts, is particularly important when you’re stuck in a cycle of worry, fearful, negative, or depreciating thoughts. Use these therapeutic art activities for emotional wellness as a part of your self-care practice. To bring balance to your thoughts and give an outlet to your emotions.
Why choose therapeutic art activities?
Therapeutic aspects of art activities are based on a person’s innate need for creation. We are all creative beings, and we’ve always been creative beings. The objects we use in our daily lives, from simple spoons to complex devices like smartphones, are all results of our need to create. But our desire to artistically express ourselves dates back to the time when first humans lived in caves and drew hunting scenes on cave walls. Why did they do it? Well, for starters, they probably wanted to share what they experienced. But more importantly, when you think about it, hunting must have been an extremely stressful and even traumatic experience. So in a way, the act of drawing hunting scenes might have been a form of art therapy for hunters to release stress and cope with the trauma.
You may not need to go hunting for your next meal, but your life is nonetheless filled with stressful situations.
The process of creating art activates the brain’s reward pathways that send all those happy hormones like dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins flowing through your mind and body. Which in turn reinforces feelings of happiness, self-worth, and competence. All those feelings you need for a healthy, happy, and successful life.
What are therapeutic art activities?
Therapeutic art activities are forms of artistic expression where the focus is on the process of creating and the effect that process has on your emotions and thoughts.
The main goal of therapeutic art activities, aside from relaxation and mindfulness, is making new connections. Contemplating certain topics of interest while creating art facilitates the formation of new thoughts and getting out of the old thought patterns. When you sit down to create art you allow yourself the freedom to let out parts of you that may not have other opportunities to be expressed. By giving color and form to your emotions and thoughts you start shifting your perspective and allow the formation of new thoughts that never would have come to you otherwise.
It’s smart practice to always keep a notepad or a piece of paper near you to write on while doing an art activity.
If at any moment, and there most probably will be such moments, you get a new thought or come to an interesting conclusion write it down. You always think in the moment that you’ll remember it later. But thoughts are so fleeting and if you don’t write it down, later you’ll be scratching your head trying to remember it.
Explore The Collection of Therapeutic Creative Activities
Here you’ll find creative avenues for self-expression, self-exploration, and relaxation.
Creative Splatters
Description
Use diluted paint to drip, splatter, and create paint blots on paper. While the paint dries, take a moment to look at the blots and splatters and try to find patterns or shapes. Use ink pens of different sizes to draw shapes and lines to make connections and transform blots and splatters into recognizable images or abstract compositions.
Materials
Reflective questions
- What associations did you have while looking at splatters?
- What do those associations tell you?
- Which thoughts come up while you’re looking at the finished painting?
- What do you feel while looking at your painting?
- What are those feelings telling you?
- What have you learned about yourself through this art project?
Therapeutic Benefits
Perception shifting: Transforming ink blots into recognizable shapes stimulates imagination, creative thinking, and shifts in visual perception.
Pattern recognition: Observing ink blot shapes promotes pattern recognition, problem-solving, and visual analysis skills.
Playful exploration: Inkblot art encourages playful exploration, spontaneity, and non-judgmental creativity.
Growth Timeline Doodle
Description
Create a visual timeline that represents your personal growth, achievements, challenges, and milestones. First decide the timeframe for which you’ll create a visual record, then rough out a list of most memorable events. Draw a straight or curvy line to represent the timeline. Along the line draw symbols and shapes that represent events that happened in the chosen timeframe. Use different colors to add more meaning to your drawing. Embellish your drawing as much or as little as you like.
Materials
- Paper A4 or larger
- Colorful pens and markers
Reflective questions
- What do you think is the meaning behind the events you chose to put on your timeline?
- Did you have new realizations or unexpected connections while creating the timeline?
- Which thoughts come up while you’re looking at the finished timeline?
- What do you feel while looking at your timeline drawing?
- What are those feelings telling you?
- What have you learned about yourself through this art project?
Therapeutic Benefits
Big picture: Creating timelines allows you to see the big picture of your life and recognize patterns of behavior and events.
Life story: Mapping life events visually helps you see your life story, understand your actions, and notice the long-term outcomes of your choices.
Future orientation: Reflecting on the past inspires setting future goals, and making plans for personal development.
Scribble Therapy
Description
Make random scribbles and lines on paper without thinking too much about the shapes. Then, use these scribbles as a basis for creating artwork—turning them into recognizable objects, scenes, or abstract compositions. You can use some current life situations, or memories as inspiration. Play with different colors to give emotion to your scribbles.
Materials
Reflective questions
- Which objects did you ‘find’ in the scribbles, and what could be the meaning of those discoveries?
- Which thoughts come up while you’re looking at the finished drawing?
- What do you feel while looking at your drawing?
- What are those feelings telling you?
- What have you learned about yourself through this art project?
Therapeutic Benefits
Creativity boost: Working from random scribbles stimulates creative thinking and imagination.
Adaptability: Turning chaos (undefined form) into order (defined object) practices adaptability and problem-solving.
Playfulness: Engaging in spontaneous art activities fosters a sense of playfulness and reduces the desire for perfectionism.
Doodle Meditation
Description
Set a timer for 1 minute. Begin by drawing circles freely on the paper without a specific plan or rules. When you’re done start doodling inside and around circles. Let the doodles flow naturally, focusing on the present moment and your breathing.
Materials
- Paper A4
- Pen, pencil, or marker
Reflective questions
- Which thoughts occupied your mind while doodling?
- Which thoughts come up while you’re looking at the finished drawing?
- What do you feel while looking at your drawing?
- What are those feelings telling you?
- What have you learned about yourself through this art project?
Therapeutic Benefits
Mindfulness: Doodling mindfully promotes relaxation, and presence, and reduces stress.
Creative flow: Engaging in spontaneous doodling helps you get into creative flow and allows for intuitive expression.
Non-judgmental expression: Doodling without judgment fosters self-acceptance, creativity, and playfulness.
Mood Mapping
Description
With a black marker draw a shape and sections inside of it. Create a color-coded map of your moods using different colors to represent various feelings. The shape can be anything you wish to represent certain aspects of your life. For example, you can draw a shape of your home or workplace and color it with colors that represent feelings you have about the place. You can also draw a shape of your body and color it with colors that represent the feelings you most often have.
Materials
Reflective questions
- Which emotions take up the majority of the picture?
- Which colors make up the majority of the picture?
- Which thoughts come up while you’re looking at the finished drawing?
- What do you feel while looking at your drawing?
- What are those feelings telling you?
- What have you learned about yourself through this art project?
Therapeutic Benefits
Emotion awareness: Mapping emotions visually enhances self-awareness and emotional intelligence.
Emotional regulation: Identifying and visualizing emotions helps you to better understand and manage your feelings.
Emotion expression: Practicing associating colors and emotions offers you a unique way to express emotions.
Color and Symbolism Exploration
Description
Choose one or more emotions or values you’d like to explore. For each emotion and value choose a color palette that represents it (e.g., shades of purple for passion, shades of yellow for calmness, or shades of green for optimism). Then draw at least 10 objects using chosen colors that symbolically represent corresponding emotions or values. Allow your intuition to guide you when selecting colors and objects. Don’t rely on commonly used symbols or colors to depict your emotions and values. To choose objects you can try writing associations. Set a timer for 1 minute and write as many words you associate with the selected emotion or value.
Materials
Reflective questions
- Are there any unusual objects in your drawing?
- What could be their meaning?
- Which thoughts come up while you’re looking at drawings?
- What do you feel while looking at your drawings?
- What are those feelings telling you?
- What have you learned about yourself through this art project?
Therapeutic Benefits
Emotion awareness: Thinking of visual representation of your emotions and values helps you better understand your emotions.
Brain connectivity: Associating colors with emotions strengthens connectivity between the left and right brain hemispheres.
Emotion expression: Using colors and drawings to depict your emotions allows you to express your emotions in a novel and safe way.
Painting a peaceful place
Description
Close your eyes and imagine a peaceful or meaningful place. It can be from your memory or imagination (e.g., a beach, a forest path, or a place from your dreams). Spend a few minutes visualizing the place. Then open your eyes and paint what you imagined. You can paint it realistically, but you can also paint only contours, use different proportions to emphasize items you consider important, or even distort shapes. Allow yourself freedom to create however you feel it’s right at the moment without bothering yourself about doing it “correctly”.
Materials
Reflective questions
- What meaning does this place hold for you?
- Which thoughts come up while you’re looking at your painting?
- What do you feel while looking at your painting?
- What are those feelings telling you?
- What have you learned about yourself through this art project?
Therapeutic benefits
- Relaxation: Imagining calming scenes reduces stress and promotes relaxation.
- Creativity: Translating mental images into art enhances creative thinking and imagination.
- Positive associations: Creating art based on positive imagery reinforces positive emotions and associations.
Emotion Wheel Painting
Description
Draw a large circle on a paper and divide it into sections each representing an emotion (e.g., joy, sadness, anger, fear). Sections don’t have to be equal, you can make bigger or smaller sections depending on how often or how strongly you experience an emotion. Choose colors that you associate with each emotion. Use brushes or fingers to paint each section with the chosen color. Use different intensities and layers to express the depth of your emotions.
Materials
Reflective questions
- Which emotions make up the majority of your painting?
- Which thoughts come up while you’re looking at your painting?
- What do you feel while looking at your painting?
- What are those feelings telling you?
- What have you learned about yourself through this art project?
Therapeutic Benefits
- Emotional intelligence: Identifying, quantifying, and painting emotions promotes emotional awareness which is the foundation of emotional intelligence.
- Relief: Expressing emotions through art can release pent-up emotions and provide momentary relief.
- Acceptance: Seeing all emotions together on the wheel will help you better understand your emotions and help you accept them as an essential part of your experience.
Collage Therapy
Description
Collect magazines, newspapers, old postcards, paper scraps, and similar printed materials. Choose one word or a topic you’ll use as an inspiration for the collage. Cut out images, patterns, or text that you associate with the chosen word or topic. Arrange and glue these pieces onto a canvas or paper to create a collage that reflects your feelings and thoughts on the word or a topic you chose.
Materials
- Large sheet of paper – A3
- Magazine, newspaper cutouts, postcards, scraps of paper, or vision board book
- Scissors
- Glue stick
Reflective questions
- Which thought mostly occupied your mind while creating the collage?
- Which thoughts come up now while you’re looking at the finished collage?
- What do you feel while looking at your collage?
- What are those feelings telling you?
- What have you learned about yourself through this art project?
Therapeutic Benefits
- Self-expression: Creating a visual representation of thoughts and emotions gives you new avenues for self-expression.
- Empowerment: Choosing and arranging images to create a collage fosters a sense of control and self-efficacy.
- Insight: The process of choosing images to represent your thoughts and emotions on a given theme can provide insights into your unconscious mind.
Storytelling Through Comics
Description
Create a comic strip or book using drawings, captions, and dialogue bubbles. Tell a personal story, a fictional narrative, or illustrate a favorite quote or poem.
Materials
Reflective questions
- What surprised you while creating a comic?
- Which thoughts come up while you’re looking at your comic?
- What do you feel while looking at your comic?
- What are those feelings telling you?
- What have you learned about yourself through this art project?
Therapeutic Benefits
Narrative therapy: Creating stories promotes the exploration of personal narratives and experiences.
Empowerment: Visual storytelling allows for self-expression and identification with your own stories.
Humor and play: Incorporating humor in comics fosters creativity and playfulness.
Word Art Affirmations
Description
Choose positive affirmations, words or phrases that are meaningful to you. While thinking about your affirmation start drawing whatever comes to your mind. Blend words and drawings together to create unique artwork that represents your thoughts and feelings about the affirmation.
Materials
Reflective questions
- How were you feeling while drawing?
- What is the meaning behind the images you drew to represent your affirmation?
- Which thoughts come up while you’re looking at your drawing?
- What do you feel while looking at your drawing?
- What are those feelings telling you?
- What have you learned about yourself through this art project?
Therapeutic Benefits
Positive reinforcement: Engaging with affirmations or positive phrases encourages positive self-talk.
Empowerment: Creating art with affirmations promotes a sense of control and agency over your own thoughts and emotions.
Integration: Creating visual representations of affirmations helps you integrate them into daily life.
Artistic Self-Compassion Letter
Description
Write a compassionate letter to yourself addressing challenges, achievements, and self-care needs. Decorate the letter with symbols and colors that represent the thoughts you wrote in the letter.
Materials
Reflective questions
- Which symbols did you draw?
- What do you think those symbols represent?
- How did you feel while writing the letter?
- How do you feel while rereading your letter?
- What are those feelings telling you?
- What have you learned about yourself through this art project?
Therapeutic Benefits
Self-compassion: Writing and drawing compassionate messages promotes self-acceptance and kindness.
Expressing needs: Expressing emotions and needs in a supportive context aids in processing emotions and healing.
Positive self-talk: Formulating your thoughts in a compassionate way and writing them down reinforces positive self-talk and resilience.
Artistic Affirmation Cards
Description
Take a few pieces of thick paper and cut them into rectangles. Choose positive affirmations or quotes you love. On one side decorate your affirmation cards using art techniques like painting or drawing. On the other side write positive affirmations or quotes and decorate it as well. Use these cards for daily inspiration, motivation, or self-reflection.
Materials
- Heavy white cardstock
- Watercolor paint
- Brushes
- Colorful pens and markers
- Colored pencils
- Archival ink pen
Reflective questions
- Use your cards as journal prompts to write about what each affirmation or quote means to you.
- Take one card, read it, contemplate it, and then write all thoughts that come to you.
- What feelings evoke this card in you?
- What are those feelings telling you?
- What have you learned about yourself through this art project?
Therapeutic Benefits
Daily support: Using affirmation cards offers you daily reminders of your positive beliefs and intentions.
Self-encouragement: Designing and creating personalized cards reinforces feelings of self-belief and self-confidence.
Reduces negativity: Focusing on positive and encouraging thoughts reduces negative and ruminating thoughts.
Artistic Word Association
Description
Time yourself for 1 minute to write down a series of random words or phrases. Use each word as a prompt to create quick sketches, doodles, or abstract shapes. Explore associations, emotions, and narratives inspired by the words.
Materials
Reflective questions
- What do you think about the random words and phrases that came to you?
- What do you think is the meaning of the associations you drew to represent each word?
- What do you feel while looking at the drawings?
- What are those feelings telling you?
- What have you learned about yourself through this art project?
Therapeutic Benefits
Spontaneous creativity: Word associations spark creative thinking, imagination, and spontaneous art-making without overthinking.
Self-exploration: Connecting words with art encourages emotional expression, symbolization, and narrative exploration.
Playfulness: Doodling or sketching based on word prompts fosters playfulness, experimentation, and artistic freedom.
Found Object Sculpture
Description
Collect various found objects such as stones, twigs, shells, and small trinkets. Use hot glue and wire to assemble them into a sculpture or a kind of 3D collage.
Materials
- Assortment of small found objects
- Hot glue gun
- Colored craft wire
- Wire cutters
Reflective questions
- How did you feel while creating the sculpture?
- Which thoughts occupied your mind mostly while working on the sculpture?
- What does your artwork represent?
- How do you feel while looking at your artwork?
- What are those feelings telling you?
- What have you learned about yourself through this art project?
Therapeutic Benefits
Resourcefulness: Using found objects encourages creative problem-solving and resourcefulness.
Connection: Choosing meaningful objects fosters a sense of connection to the environment or personal memories.
Empowerment: Transforming ordinary items into art promotes a sense of accomplishment.
Transformational Object
Description
Choose an object you have no use of anymore (e.g., rock, piece of wood, old frame) and transform it into something new using art techniques such as painting, carving, or embellishing.
Materials
- A main object and if needed additional small objects
- Acrylic paint markers
- Hot glue gun
- Colored craft wire
- Wire cutters
- Carving tools
Reflective questions
- Which challenges did you face while trying to transform an object?
- How did you feel while working on the transformation?
- Which thoughts occupied your mind the most while working on transforming the object?
- How do you feel while looking at the transformed object?
- What are those feelings telling you?
- What have you learned about yourself through this art project?
Therapeutic Benefits
Resilience: Transforming objects symbolizes personal growth, resilience, and change.
Creativity: Finding new uses or appearances for objects fosters creative thinking and problem-solving skills.
Empowerment: Turning ordinary objects into art reinforces a sense of empowerment and resourcefulness.
Memory Box Creation
Description
Decorate a box using paints, fabrics, or collage materials. Cover it with meaningful words and symbols. Fill the box with items that hold sentimental value or represent important memories from this or a past period of your life.
Materials
- Cardboard or wooden box
- Acrylic paint markers
- Multi-surface glue
- Scraps of fabric and various paper cutouts
Reflective questions
- Why did you choose that particular period of your life?
- What are the most significant moments from that period of your life?
- What brought you joy?
- What hardships did you face?
- How do you feel when you think about that period of your life?
- What are those feelings telling you?
- What have you learned about yourself through this art project?
Therapeutic Benefits
Reflection: While curating memories for a memory box you facilitate reflection, insight into behavior and consequences, and gratitude.
Healing: Creating a tangible representation of memories can aid in processing emotions and experiences.
Connections: Sharing memory boxes with loved ones creates opportunities for deeper connections and storytelling.
Texture Exploration
Description
Collect various materials with different textures such as fabric scraps, sandpaper, feathers, sponges, cardboard, leaves and such. Use these materials as stamps by applying paint and pressing or smearing them on the paper to create textured artwork. Focus on tactile sensations and visual patterns of different materials.
Materials
- Acrylic paint
- Canvas-textured paper
- Assortment of materials
Reflective questions
- What sensations did different materials evoke in you?
- Did some materials cause you to have “flashbacks”?
- Does your painting depict something specific or is it abstract? Why did you choose to make it so?
- What do you think is the deeper meaning behind your painting?
- How do you feel while looking at the finished painting?
- What are those feelings telling you?
- What have you learned about yourself through this art project?
Therapeutic Benefits
Sensory Awareness: Exploring textures engages the senses and promotes sensory processing.
Mindfulness: Focusing on tactile experiences fosters present-moment awareness and relaxation.
Memory: Using common objects in a novel way can induce the resurfacing of old memories and the creation of new memory pathways.
Dream Catcher Therapy
Description
Create a dream catcher using a hoop, yarn, or string, and decorative elements such as feathers, and ribbons. Use beads and wire to create unique pendants for the dream catcher. Thinking about your life dreams and goals, sketch a design you want to make. Try to create abstract symbols that represent your dreams.
Materials
Reflective questions
- What is the meaning behind the symbols you used to create the dream catcher?
- What would help you to better focus on achieving your dreams?
- What are your biggest dreams and why do you want to achieve those dreams?
- How do you feel while looking at your dream catcher?
- What are those feelings telling you?
- What have you learned about yourself through this art project?
Therapeutic Benefits
Symbolism: Choosing symbols and colors encourages clarifying values and exploring personal symbols.
Hope: Dream catchers symbolize protection and can be a therapeutic tool for nurturing your dreams and encouraging hopefulness.
Attention: Engaging in craft activities like this one enhances fine motor skills and attention to detail.
Personality Mask
Description
Start with a plain white mask (paper mache, plastic, or fabric) as a canvas. Consider different roles, or aspects of yourself, and choose those you want your mask to represent. Decorate the mask using paints, markers, fabrics, and found objects to depict the chosen roles or parts of your personality. Decorate both the outside and the inside of the mask. On the inside, you could depict certain “hidden” parts of yourself, parts that only you know.
Materials
- Paper mache mask
- Acrylic paint markers
- Multi-surface glue
- Fabrics and found objects
Reflective questions
- Which parts of you does your mask represent? Why did you choose those parts of yourself?
- Which colors, patterns, and symbols did you use to decorate the mask, and what is their meaning?
- How do you feel while looking at your finished mask?
- What are those feelings telling you?
- What have you learned about yourself through this art project?
Therapeutic Benefits
Identity exploration: Creating a mask prompts you to explore different aspects of yourself and the roles you embody.
Personality expression: Designing a mask can help you symbolically express hidden or dual parts of your personality.
Empowerment: Transforming a blank mask into a personalized creation fosters a sense of ownership and empowerment.
Emotional Mask
Description
Start with a plain white mask (paper mache, plastic, or fabric) as a canvas. Draw on the mask to represent different emotions you often feel (happy, sad, angry, peaceful, fearful…) using colors, symbols, and patterns. Draw on the outside and the inside of the mask. On the inside, you could draw emotions you don’t allow yourself to feel, or you hide from others.
Materials
Reflective questions
- Which emotions make up the majority of the mask? Do you feel those emotions most frequent or strongest?
- Which emotions do you tend to hide from others?
- Which colors, patterns, and symbols did you use to decorate the mask, and what is their meaning?
- How do you feel while looking at your finished mask?
- What are those feelings telling you?
- What have you learned about yourself through this art project?
Therapeutic Benefits
Emotional expression: Designing an emotional mask encourages identification, categorization, and expression of emotions.
Emotional awareness: Describing emotions through colors and shapes builds your perspective and awareness of frequently felt emotions.
Identity exploration: Exploring different emotions through mask creation increases self-awareness, empathy, and emotional intelligence.
Emotion Jar Art Prompts
Description
Decorate a glass jar with paints, markers, or collage materials. Write different emotions on small slips of paper and place them inside the jar. Shake the jar and randomly pick an emotion, then create art (drawing, painting, writing) based on that emotion.
Materials
- Jar
- Acrylic paint markers
- Permanent markers
- Multi-surface glue
- Scraps of paper or textile, ribbons, strings, sequins…
Reflective questions
- How do you usually express this emotion? How does that make you feel, better or worse?
- How does that emotion manifest in your body and mind?
- What have you learned about yourself through this art project?
Therapeutic Benefits
Emotion exploration: Randomly selecting emotions encourages the exploration of a wide range of emotions.
Flexibility: Spontaneous art creation based on different emotions promotes emotional flexibility and adaptability.
Emotional regulation: Bringing up a given emotion to express it through art aids in emotional regulation and a better understanding of emotions.
Time Capsule Project
Description
Create a time capsule using a sealed container like a jar, tin box, or shoe box. Decorate the container. On the outside write the date it could be opened and on the inside write the date it was created. Include drawings, letters, or objects that represent your current experiences, thoughts, and goals. Store the capsule to be opened at a chosen date.
Materials
- Container
- Acrylic paint markers
- Permanent markers
- Multi-surface glue
- Scraps of paper or textile, ribbons, strings, sequins…
Reflective questions
- How do you imagine your life will be different when it comes time to open the time capsule?
- How did you feel while creating the time capsule?
- What are those feelings telling you?
- What have you learned about yourself through this art project?
Therapeutic Benefits
Reflection: Creating and curating items for the time capsule encourages reflection on present life situation and experiences.
Memory preservation: Time capsules preserve memories, experiences, and personal narratives for future reflection and connection.
Future connection: Opening a time capsule in the future fosters connections between past and present self, promoting continuity and self-understanding.
Nature-Inspired Art
Description
Take a walk in nature and gather natural materials such as leaves, flowers, acorns, pinecones, stones, and branches. Use these materials to create art on paper (such as leaf rubbings, or flower prints), or a nature centerpiece.
Materials
- Materials gathered from nature
- Acrylic paint
- Hot glue gun
- Colored craft wire
- Wire cutters
Reflective questions
- How did you feel while working with natural materials?
- Which thoughts occupied your mind the most while working on this project?
- How do you feel while looking at the finished art?
- What are those feelings telling you?
- What have you learned about yourself through this art project?
Therapeutic Benefits
Connecting with nature: Engaging with natural elements promotes relaxation and connection to the environment.
Mindfulness: Focusing on textures, colors, and patterns in nature fosters mindfulness and sensory awareness.
Appreciation: Creating art inspired by nature cultivates appreciation for the natural world and its beauty.
Nature Mandala Art
Description
Gather natural materials such as leaves, flowers, stones, and twigs. Arrange them in a circular mandala pattern outdoors or on a large surface. Take time to appreciate the natural beauty and symbolism. Make some pictures to remember this activity.
Materials
- Materials gathered from nature
- Ground as canvas
Reflective questions
- How did you feel while working on the ground with natural materials?
- Which thoughts occupied your mind the most while working on this project?
- How do you feel while looking at the finished art?
- What are those feelings telling you?
- What have you learned about yourself through this art project?
Therapeutic Benefits
Connecting with nature: Engaging with natural elements promotes relaxation and connection with nature.
Letting go: Investing yourself into art creation and then leaving it to the world practices spontaneity and letting go of the need for control.
Gratitude practice: Appreciating natural beauty fosters gratitude, awe, and mindfulness.
Reflection Stones
Description
Collect smooth stones or pebbles. Use acrylic paint markers to decorate each stone with symbols, words, or drawings representing personal strengths and values. Display finished stones somewhere where you can see them every day.
Materials
- Stones of different sizes
- Acrylic paint markers
Reflective questions
- Which strengths, and values did you depict on stones?
- How are you nurturing your strengths in your daily life?
- How are your values shaping your life?
- How do you feel while looking at each decorated stone?
- What are those feelings telling you?
- What have you learned about yourself through this art project?
Therapeutic Benefits
Self-appreciation: Choosing and depicting your strengths on stones brings them into your awareness and gives you opportunities to appreciate yourself.
Positive reminders: Having decorating stones displayed in your living space provides tangible reminders of your strengths and values.
Mindfulness: Focusing on painting or drawing on stones fosters mindfulness and relaxation.
Emotion Expression Sculpture
Description
Use modeling clay, wire, or found materials to sculpt your emotions. Create abstract or figurative sculptures to give physical shape to emotions you experience.
Materials
Reflective questions
- How did you feel while shaping clay into your vision of emotion?
- Which thoughts were going through your head while working with clay?
- How do you feel while looking at the physical representation of your emotion?
- What are those feelings telling you?
- What have you learned about yourself through this art project?
Therapeutic Benefits
Tactile expression: Sculpting clay engages tactile senses, kinesthetic awareness, and physical expression of emotions.
Symbolism: Creating abstract or figurative sculptures prompts you to give physical shape to your emotional experiences.
Cathartic release: Shaping clay to express emotions promotes emotional release, self-awareness, and stress reduction.
Artistic Gratitude Walk
Description
Take a mindful walk in nature or an environment you enjoy spending time in. Notice details, and find shapes, colors, and patterns you like. Pay attention to light and shadows. Take photographs of scenes, objects, and textures that attract your attention. Create a collage of your photos. It can be a digital collage or you can print out your photos to arrange and glue them on a large piece of paper.
Materials
- Printed out photos
- Large sheet of paper – A3
- Scissors
- Glue stick
Reflective questions
- How did you feel while taking pictures for the collage?
- Which colors, shapes, and textures attracted your attention? Why?
- How do you feel while looking at the collage?
- What are those feelings telling you?
- What have you learned about yourself through this art project?
Therapeutic Benefits
Mindful presence: Engaging with the space around you and noticing everything in your surroundings promotes mindfulness, sensory awareness, and relaxation.
Gratitude practice: Focusing on the beauty around you and meaningful moments cultivates gratitude, positive emotions, and well-being.
Connection with environment: Creating art from images of your surroundings fosters connection and appreciation of the environment.
Music-Inspired Art
Description
Listen to the music that induces an emotional reaction in you. Use the music as inspiration to create art—painting or drawing—capturing the mood, rhythm, and emotions evoked by the music.
Materials
Reflective questions
- Which emotions did the music evoke in you?
- How did it feel to let music and emotions guide you to paint/draw?
- Which thoughts come to mind while looking at the finished painting/drawing?
- How do you feel while looking at the finished painting/drawing?
- What are those feelings telling you?
- What have you learned about yourself through this art project?
Therapeutic Benefits
Emotion regulation: Connecting art and music helps process emotions and regulate mood.
Emotion exploration: Translating sounds into visuals helps to explore emotions and express them in novel ways.
Sensory integration: Combining auditory and visual stimuli enhances sensory integration.
Sound to Images Drawing
Description
Listen to the music or sounds of nature. Close your eyes and let your imagination conjure up images based on the sounds you’re listening to. Draw what you imagined. It can be an abstract or figurative image. You can draw one big drawing or several small ones.
Materials
Reflective questions
- How did you feel while drawing?
- Which thoughts come to mind while looking at the finished drawing?
- How do you feel while looking at the finished drawing?
- What are those feelings telling you?
- What have you learned about yourself through this art project?
Therapeutic Benefits
Sensory integration: Using music to visualize images enhances auditory-visual connections, creativity, and multi-modal expression.
Creative expression: Drawing images created in your mind by music fosters creative exploration and expression.
Relaxation: Listening to music while drawing from imagination releases pent up stress and relaxes your mind and body.
Artistic Sound Journal
Description
Create short records of sounds from your environment (home, nature, urban settings) for one day. At the end of the day draw visual representations of those sounds. Use colors and shapes to give sounds a physical appearance.
Materials
Reflective questions
- What kinds of sounds did you choose to record? Why those sounds?
- How did you feel while drawing?
- Which thoughts come to mind while looking at the finished drawing?
- How do you feel while looking at the finished drawing?
- What are those feelings telling you?
- What have you learned about yourself through this art project?
Therapeutic Benefits
Sensory immersion: Paying attention to the sounds around you and then translating those sounds into images practices sensory perception, imagination, and creativity.
Memory: Engaging with sounds and creating their visual representations creates strong memory pathways.
Aesthetic sensibility: Exploring sound through visual art develops auditory-visual connections, artistic sensitivity, and sensory integration.
Abstract Emotion Expression
Description
Sit quietly and name one or more emotions you’re feeling right now. Use abstract art techniques (splatter painting, fluid art, dots…) to express current emotions without specific forms or symbols. Paint with brushes, fingers, sponges, or any other item you have. Allow colors, textures, and movements to convey feelings.
Materials
Reflective questions
- Which emotions did you paint? What happened to those emotions while you were painting them?
- Which thoughts come to mind while looking at the finished painting?
- How do you feel while looking at the finished painting?
- What are those feelings telling you?
- What have you learned about yourself through this art project?
Therapeutic Benefits
Non-verbal expression: Abstract art allows for non-verbal and symbolic expression of complex emotions and experiences.
Emotion release: Creating expressive, abstract art promotes emotional release, catharsis, and stress reduction.
Artistic freedom: Creating without predefined forms fosters creativity, intuition, and emotional authenticity.
Expressive Movement Art
Description
Play music or sounds that you enjoy. Make a large canvas on the wall by attaching 4 large A3 sheets of paper to the wall. To the rhythm of the music, move your body freely, allowing gestures, dance, and rhythmic motions to be transferred onto the canvas. Use large brushes and diluted paint, finger paint, or pastels to capture movement impressions.
Materials
Reflective questions
- How did it feel to use your whole body to create art?
- Which thoughts come to mind while looking at the finished painting?
- How do you feel while looking at the finished painting?
- What are those feelings telling you?
- What have you learned about yourself through this art project?
Therapeutic Benefits
Sensory integration: Syncing art with rhythms engages auditory, visual, and kinesthetic senses, promoting sensory integration.
Creative flow: Connecting art with music enhances creative flow, spontaneity, and improvisation.
Relaxation: Rhythmic movement combined with music and painting induces the release of tension from the body.
Shadow Drawing
Description
Take various small objects, figures, or cut-out shapes from cardboard. Place the gathered objects in front of the light source and place a paper in front of them so that they cast a shadow on the paper. Arrange the objects to depict an imagined scenery. Draw silhouettes of those objects, and color them with crayons.
Materials
Reflective questions
- Describe the drawing and give it a deeper meaning.
- Make up a short story about the drawing.
- Which thoughts come to mind while looking at the finished drawing?
- How do you feel while looking at the finished drawing?
- What are those feelings telling you?
- What have you learned about yourself through this art project?
Therapeutic Benefits
Narrative therapy: Constructing stories through silhouettes facilitates storytelling and self-expression.
Symbolism: Silhouettes represent elements without detailed features, allowing for symbolic interpretations and creativity.
Empowerment: Creating visual narratives empowers you to shape and share your experiences and perspectives.
Positive Power Animal Drawing
Description
Choose an animal symbolizing strength, resilience, or other qualities you possess and admire. Draw or paint this animal in a style that reflects your interpretation of its positive attributes.
Materials
Reflective questions
- Which animal did you draw, which qualities did you attach to it, and why do you value those qualities?
- How do those qualities help you in life?
- Which thoughts come to mind while looking at the finished drawing?
- How do you feel while looking at the finished drawing?
- What are those feelings telling you?
- What have you learned about yourself through this art project?
Therapeutic Benefits
Symbolic empowerment: Drawing power animals allows you to nurture personal strengths, qualities, and aspirations in yourself.
Positive reinforcement: Visualizing strengths and resilience through art reinforces self-confidence and motivation.
Self-exploration: Associating personal qualities with animals fosters storytelling, empowerment, and identity exploration.
Artistic Breathwork Meditation
Description
Practice deep breathing exercises (diaphragmatic breathing, box breathing) while creating art. Use rhythmic strokes and patterns colors that follow your breathing rhythm. Use colors to express emotions.
Materials
Reflective questions
- Which thoughts come to mind while looking at the finished painting?
- How do you feel while looking at the finished painting?
- What are those feelings telling you?
- What have you learned about yourself through this art project?
Therapeutic Benefits
Mind-body connection: Combining breathwork and art-making enhances mind-body awareness, relaxation, and stress reduction.
Breath awareness: Connecting art with breathing patterns enhances breath awareness, relaxation, and stress management.
Flow state: Syncing art creation with deep breathing induces flow states, creativity, and a focused state of mind.
These activities offer diverse ways to engage creatively and therapeutically, catering to different preferences, emotions, and therapeutic goals. Have fun exploring and adapting them to suit your needs and interests!
If you’re interested in more therapeutic art activities, check out my other articles:
Art Therapy Activities To Develop Self-Awareness
Art Therapy Activities for Relaxation
Art Therapy Activities For Self-Discovery
Essential Books On Art Therapy Perfect For At-Home Self-Guided Therapy
