Art is for everyone. It is a natural ability we all share and you do not need any artistic skill or training.
Using art in counselling or therapy and play is a great way to express ourselves. Art brings forth the subconscious and the non-verbal so it is perfect for anyone who has difficulty expressing their thoughts and feelings. The more we play with spontaneous unplanned art, the easier it becomes to express yourself freely.
Art is also great for those people who find they are very logical and analytical, you can exercise your creative mind and open up to a world of ways to express yourself.
Art can bypass those processes and tap into the quiet unknown.
Art creates a space for mindful contemplation often calming the emotional system and allowing freedom of expression and peacefulness to surface.
Art can boost your immunity by lowering stress, art encourages self-expression of emotions and generally provides a space for happy self-care.
What you can expect during a creative art counselling session
The process is a gently guided, almost meditative journey where you will learn more about who and how you are being in this world. There are times where I might join you in being creative, learning and just being with you in that moment.
We can use art to achieve an outcome or we can use art to just play.
Examples of Intuitive Mandala Art
Mandala Journals can be creative alternatives to traditional written journals. We call them mandala because they are contained with the circle, the circle representing you or a container to hold your creation.
Creating art this way has many health benefits such as increasing your immunity, decreasing your anxiety levels and related stress hormones – cortisol (Warson & Lorance, 2012; Mercer et al., 2010).
Art journaling becomes a meditative process and creates mindfulness or awareness of how your body is feeling within the environment around you.
Warson, E. & Lorance, J. (2012). Physiological measures in art therapy evidence- based research. In C. Malchiodi, (Ed.), Art Therapy and Health Care. New York, NY: Guilford.
Mercer, P., Warson, E., & Zao, J. (2010). Visual journaling: An intervention to influence stress, anxiety, and affect levels in medical students. The Arts in Psychotherapy, 37(2), 143-148.
For creative ideas check out my Pinterest page and you can begin your own healing journey. Make sure to tag me with you ideas, thoughts and creations.