Therapeutic drawing prompts

100 Art Therapy Ideas and Prompts

Alternative to Meds News & Blog Articles

Create With Your Eyes Closed

10. Draw freely. Feel free of your own judgment by drawing in the dark or with your eyes closed; draw shapes, patterns, or whatever feels right.

Goal: Through this exercise, you’ll be able to create and express yourself without judgment or self-criticism.

11. Draw how you feel. Close your eyes and listen to your breathing and your body. Using drawing tools, draw and color your physical sensations to create an emotional and physical self-portrait.

Goal: The purpose of this exercise is to provide you with an image of how you view your physical and emotional being.

12. Flower exercise. With your eyes closed, think of a flower you love or would like to see. Think about your flower in terms of sight, smell, and touch. Draw what you imagine.

Goal: This exercise will help you overcome stress while training your imagination.

13. Imaginary planet exercise. With your eyes closed, draw a planet that you imagine would be in space, including details of the surface you see in your mind.

Goal: The purpose of this exercise is to help relieve stress while developing your imagination and fine motor skills.

Lines, Symbols, and Shapes

14. Draw a zentangle design. Zentangle is unplanned and abstract art that is created by various patterns and symbols, often made by drawing borders, connecting dots with lines, and shading open areas, usually done in black and white.

Goal: This exercise helps you let go and reduce stress.

15. Draw a mandala symbol. These geometric symbols, which can be drawn with traditional sand or with lines on paper from a center point, help aid in meditation.

Goal: The purpose of this exercise is to help you loosen up your mind and body and lessen fatigue.

16. Draw with symbols and shapes. Using lines, shapes, and colors, create images that express your feelings while thinking about why you used the lines, shapes, and colors you did.

Goal: The purpose of this exercise is to help you understand your feelings.

17. Create art using only lines. This simple art form can be used to express emotions you’re feeling.

Goal: This therapeutic activity will provide you with a visual representation of your feelings and emotional state.

Miscellaneous

18. Paint with your hands. Get your hands messy and have a good time with finger painting, spreading the paint, creating shapes and blobs and anything that comes to mind.

Goal: Allow yourself to have fun and be messy. Let your inhibitions go for a while.

19. Paint with just your body. Feel free and empowered by painting with your body as the paint tool. Use fingers, toes, hair, and other parts to create shapes and shades and apply color to a canvas.

Goal: The purpose of this exercise is to help you explore the possibilities and the beauty of your body.

20. Paint, scribble, or draw your stress out. Choose colors and other art tools that represent your stress and scribble and paint those stressors away through lines, colors, and your creativity.

Goal: This exercise helps relieve stress while allowing you to explore your creativity.

21. The unsent postcard. Express your feelings to someone that you might still be angry at by designing and writing a letter or postcard — that you don’t plan on sending — with words, images, and colors that express your feelings.

Goal: The purpose of this exercise is to provide an outlet for negative emotions you may be holding on to.

22. Create an invention. With your favorite art tools, design an invention that would make you happier. Don’t be constrained by reality. Create whatever would make you happy every time you use it.

Goal: The purpose of this exercise is to help you better create your own happiness and express your creativity.

23. Make short-lived art. Using sand, chalk, paper, or water, you can create a piece of art that can easily be destroyed after you’ve created it.

Goal: Letting go is not easy; this therapeutic activity will help you accept that some things are temporary and learn to release those things.

24. From illness to art. If you have a serious, potentially life-threatening illness, use your art skills to turn it into something beautiful by representing your emotions through shapes and colors; perhaps even imagine life without the illness.

Goal: The purpose of this exercise is to work through depression, anxiety, and other emotions related to having a serious medical issue.

25. Make art based on a quote or poem you like. Quotes and poems have the power to change our moods. Use words to create a visually inspiring piece of art, such as drawing the image the words evoke or sharing the colors you think of.

Goal: This exercise combines the meaning and beauty of the words with your art to create a visual reminder of the words’ effect on your life.

26. My life is like … Fill in the blank: “My life is like ____,” and draw a representation of your life today, such as a river, a mountain, a desert, etc.

Goal: Through this exercise, you’ll create a visual representation of your emotions — your view of your life — that you can compare to reality.

27. Use plaster to make a sculpture out of your hand. After it dries, you can write all of the good things your hand does for you directly onto the plaster.

Goal: The purpose of this exercise is to reflect on the things that make you happy and express gratitude for them.

28. Use a rock as your next canvas. You can use this exercise to paint the things that empower you or the struggles you want to overcome on a rock.

Goal: Rocks are solid and stable. This exercise is meant to offer you the strength to achieve and overcome challenges.

29. Write on leaves. Create a gratitude tree by writing what you’re grateful for on leaves you find. Then hang the leaves on branches or paste them to a banner.

Goal: The purpose of this exercise is to remind you of all the good things and people in your life for which you are grateful.

30. Just create. Let yourself be free and make the art how you want to make it without judging yourself. Draw, paint, sculpt — whatever you want, however you want — without concern for any “rules.”

Goal: By letting yourself be free to create, you’ll be more laid back and relaxed.

31. Create artwork using your nondominant hand. Give yourself grace and a chance to try something new and discover new ways to create.

Goal: This exercise will help you “unlearn” what you know about style, control, and discipline, and to recapture the freedom you felt as a child.

32. Mix colors. On a sheet of paper, draw several circles with a pen. Color in each circle with a different color. Once the colors have dried, apply different colors to each circle to see what the new color will look like.

Goal: The purpose of this exercise is to overcome emotional stress and develop the imagination.

33. Create your own permission slip. We all have personal traits, but sometimes we view those traits as faults. Create a physical permission slip to give to your future self so that instead of feeling defeated about a personality trait, you may give yourself permission to minimize the feeling of defeat.

Goal: Minimize feelings of defeat, or even self-hatred, with this exercise.

Drawing

34. Draw something large. Move around and draw something very large. You can even go outside and use some chalk on the sidewalk to get your body moving.

Goal: The range of motion needed to create a large drawing can help release stress.

35. Scribble draw. You can turn a scribble into something beautiful with your creativity. Make lines, add color, and create a scribbled masterpiece.

Goal: This exercise helps you tap into your creativity and relax as you do so.

36. Color in a drawing. Use a coloring book, or create your own drawings and outlines to color.

Goal: The purpose of this simple exercise is to help relax your mind and body.

37. Draw in your favorite place. Traveling opens the mind to new ideas. Pick your favorite place to be in and go there to draw something you want to draw.

Goal: This exercise takes you out of your normal environment into a different, yet familiar, setting, unleashing creativity and promoting a positive mood.

38. Draw outside. Literally, take your art out-of-doors. Getting closer to nature can get your creativity flowing and relax you.

Goal: Being outside is fun and relaxing and promotes a connection with nature.

39. Draw your fears. Get closer to facing your fears by making what scares you more real, and relatable, through a drawing.

Goal: The purpose of this exercise is to bring your fears to light and work toward facing them.

40. Draw your favorite childhood memory. Take a few moments and think back to your childhood, recalling especially pleasant times. Using your favorite art supplies, draw a visual representation of your favorite childhood memory.

Goal: The purpose of this exercise is to help relieve stress and fatigue.

41. Sketch a mountain and a valley. A mountain represents your happiest times, and a valley represents your saddest times. You can add specific events into the artwork.

Goal: This exercise will help you find balance in the good and bad times of life.

42. Create unique drawings for the people you love the most. Show your gratitude by creating something for a loved one.

Goal: The purpose of this exercise is to bring to light what is most important in your life — your loved ones — and express gratitude for them.

43. Sketch your body image. On a canvas or paper, draw how you see your body to help with body image issues.

Goal: This exercise can help you discover how your body perceptions compare to reality.

44. Draw your mirror reflection. What is reflected in the mirror when you look at it? Is something standing in the way of your reflection? Depict what might be standing between you and your reflection.

Goal: Discover how what you see in the mirror compares to the reality of who you are, and what needs to change to clear up the reflection.

45. Draw your name. On a large piece of paper, draw your name as large as you can to take up as much space as possible.

Goal: The purpose of this exercise is to explore your identity and promote self-acceptance.

46. Draw a portrait of a past and current self. Divide a piece of paper down the middle by drawing a line. Draw yourself as you’ve always seen yourself with the line dividing your face down the middle. Now, choose one side for your past self and one side for your current self to represent the change you’ve made from past to present.

Goal: This exercise helps illustrate how much the self can change over time.

47. Use objects that mean something to you as inspiration for a self-portrait. Instead of drawing yourself as you look, draw yourself by drawing various types of objects that mean something to you.

Goal: This exercise offers a chance to reflect on who you are and how you see yourself by examining why you chose the objects you did.

48. Create a portrait of your future self. Create a visual representation — a drawing or painting — of how you wish to see your future self.

Goal: Learn about yourself, your goals, and how you might become who you want to be in the future.

49. Create a visual of how you think others see you. Use this to compare to the self-portrait you made of how you see yourself.

Goal: The purpose of this exercise is to get to know yourself and examine your relationships with others.

50. Draw yourself as a strong warrior. What is a warrior to you? Pick up a pencil or paintbrush and create an image of yourself as that strong warrior.

Goal: This activity will help you begin to think of yourself as strong and capable.

51. Draw yourself as a superhero. Decide who you would be as a superhero and what your superpowers would be, and draw what that would look like.

Goal: This project will help you see yourself in a more powerful light.

52. Draw a picture of someone who changed your life for better or worse. Draw a person who has impacted your life in one way or another.

Goal: The purpose of this exercise is to acknowledge the people who have affected your life.

53. Create a portrait series of yourself over time. By drawing self-portraits of yourself over time, you create visual representations of how you’ve changed.

Goal: You’ll be able to see how you’ve grown and changed in your life with these drawings.

54. Draw yourself as your spirit animal or plant. Use your creativity to draw yourself if you could be an animal or plant.

Goal: This exercise will help you understand your self-identity.

55. Draw your favorite character traits. Celebrate yourself by drawing representations of all of your good character traits as you see them.

Goal: This exercise can help you relax and relieve stress and fatigue while creating a more positive self-image.

56. Draw all of the positive things in your life. Think of all of the things in your life that have helped you in one way or another and draw them.

Goal: Acknowledging positive life elements will evoke happiness while allowing an expression of gratitude.

57. Draw your inspirations. Draw the things and people that inspire you. Give them the colors and forms that represent the feelings you have about them.

Goal: The exercise will help you realize what you have and be happy.

58. Create a drawing of your dreams. Keep a dream journal and then use your descriptions to draw what you dream about.

Goal: You can learn about yourself from your dreams and tap into your inspiration.

59. Butterfly dream and nightmare exercise. Draw a silhouette of a butterfly. Fill it in with one wing depicting a dream and the other wing depicting a nightmare.

Goal: The purpose of this exercise is to study your fears and discover your inner resources.

60. Do one doodle a day. Doodle your emotions, how you feel, what you’re doing, or what you want to do.

Goal: This exercise offers you a chance to take a break from your hectic day to reflect and be creative.

61. Draw monsters in place of your real fears. Think about something that frightens you and use your tools to give it form, color, and shape.

Goal: Creating your own representation of a monster based on your fear will take some of its power away.

62. Spontaneous drawing. Draw an illustration of your idea of a fairy tale or an element from your favorite fairy tale.

Goal: The purpose of this exercise is to draw your attention to your real experiences.

63. Doodle without purpose. By yourself, or with a friend, draw random doodles and pass your pencil along to your friend.

Goal: This exercise helps you enter deeper into your world and reflect.

64. Connect your doodles. Start with one doodle and create other doodles from that one doodle.

Goal: Open your mind to possibilities and delight as one doodle grows into something magical from your efforts.

Painting

65. Use calming colors. Create artwork using colors that you find calming.

Goal: The purpose of this exercise is to calm both the mind and body and offer a feeling of wellness.

66. Paint to music. Music reveals and unleashes emotions. Play some music that resonates with you and express your feelings through a paintbrush.

Goal: Through art and music, you can begin to relieve emotional stress and also to relax.

67. Make a painting of a perfect day. Paint your ideal perfect day and see how much of it you can turn into reality today.

Goal: This exercise will help you think about possibilities and how you can make positive events happen in your life.

68. Paint a loss. Painting a loss, whether it be a lost loved one or a loss of another type, can help you remember and recover.

Goal: Remembrance and recovery go hand in hand. This activity will help you learn how to express grief and negative emotions.

69. Paint your safe place. Using art and your memory, create a place that makes you feel safe.

Goal: This exercise will help you find safety in a scary world.

70. Paint a spiritual experience you had. Draw or paint the emotions you felt when you had a spiritual experience.

Goal: The purpose of this exercise is to reflect and grow from your spiritual experience.

71. Happy moments. Paint positive memories or moments in an abstract art form.

Goal: This exercise will tap into your creativity while creating a positive life feeling.

72. Paint your feelings. Focus on your feelings and emotions and paint what and how you feel.

Goal: The purpose of this exercise is to help you identify and better understand your emotions.

73. Create a family tree painting. Think about those family members who have supported you and given you strength, and paint a representation of them.

Goal: Use this project to honor the people you are grateful for and who support you.

74. Use watercolors to express your bodily state. Decide how you feel on a given day or at a given moment. Draw an outline of your body on a canvas or piece of paper and use watercolors to demonstrate how you feel, physically and emotionally.

Goal: The purpose of this exercise is to analyze your physical and emotional feelings while entering a state of relaxation.

75. Wet paint exercise. Keep your thoughts and creativity flowing by painting on an already wet canvas.

Goal: This exercise will help you develop your imagination and ease emotional stress.

76. Paint blowing. After adding paint to paper with lots of water, use a thin tube to blow toward the painting to create various color spots and mix the colors.

Goal: This exercise benefits coordination and helps alleviate stress.

77. Paint different moods. Paint the various moods (sorrow, happiness, depression) you might be feeling in the moment.

Goal: This project helps you develop your empathy.

Crafting

78. Make your own stuffed animal. Using different materials, you can create a stuffed animal that is comforting or means something to you.

Goal: The purpose of this exercise is to explore your happiness and find comfort.

79. Create snowflakes out of paper. On each snowflake, write out what you’re grateful for or what makes you unique.

Goal: The purpose of this exercise is to celebrate you and acknowledge what you’re grateful for.

80. Create a confident mask. Instead of making a mask to hide yourself, make a mask that expresses how you feel and empowers you. Cover the mask in symbols that make you feel strong.

Goal: This mask can help empower you overall or before difficult situations.

81. Make an art journal. Instead of writing, use a different type of journaling — your artwork — to tell a story and represent your emotions as events, both positive and negative, take place in your life.

Goal: The purpose of this exercise is to help deal with your emotions.

82. Pilot your dreams. On a piece of paper, draw a happy dream you’ve had on the left half of the paper and a nightmare on the right half. Fold it into a paper airplane, and let it go.

Goal: The purpose of this exercise is to recognize trauma or stress in your life in order to overcome it and eventually achieve inner peace by releasing the paper airplane.

83. Create a New Year’s resolution object. Instead of writing down a New Year’s resolution, create an object that visually represents a promise you have made to yourself.

Goal: The purpose of this exercise is to help you set a visible goal to inspire your progress.

84. Create your own emblem. Superheroes aren’t the only ones who can have emblems. Create a sign that symbolizes who you are as a person.

Goal: Emblems help create awareness of interests and aspirations.

85. Decorate a souvenir. Use a souvenir as a memory holder and decorate it with abstract or concrete representations of special days from your past.

Goal: The positive memories from these special days will help on the not-so-good days.

86. Make an intention stick or object. Create or find a physical object (such as a stick) that can work as a symbol for strength or comfort, and decorate it with string, feathers, glitter, beads, etc.

Goal: This physical object can provide a reminder of strength and offer peace of mind when you recall its creation.

87. Make a dreamcatcher. Create a dreamcatcher that you can keep with you to encourage good dreams while you sleep.

Goal: The purpose of this exercise is to create a time of peace and good dreams.

88. Create a stencil. Use cardboard or various other materials to create your own stencil for a more personal drawing.

Goal: This project focuses your creative mind on the tools you need to create works of art.

89. Forgive and create. Decorate a box for a person you wish to forgive. Write the person’s name on a slip of paper and include it inside the box. Decorate the box with nice images and words that represent how you hope to feel by forgiving them.

Goal: The purpose of this exercise is to draw you closer to your desired inner state of forgiveness.

Architectural Style

90. Map a visual representation of your brain. Draw what you imagine your emotions and thoughts and your brain look like to get a better idea of how your brain works.

Goal: The purpose of this exercise is to help you better understand how your mind works.

91. Create an art installation of a safe space. Instead of physically building a safe space for yourself, draw your most realistic version of a safe space you would like to go, filled with meaningful, nostalgic objects.

Goal: This exercise creates a visual “place” for good feelings to enter your mind and body.

92. Design a home. Design your version, no matter how outrageous, of what a home means to you.

Goal: This exercise creates a warm, safe place for you to imagine.

93. Map out the people you have in your life. Draw yourself in the center and then map out all of the connections you can think of in your life and how close each one is to you.

Goal: With a visual representation of the people close to you, you won’t feel so alone.

Collage

94. Construct a collage of your stress. Using magazines, newspapers, or old books, create a collage using various images to represent your worries and stressors.

Goal: The purpose of this exercise is to give expression to your stressors and help you begin to relax.

95. Create a color collage. Use a single color to express the emotions you’re feeling and create art by finding images with that color, writing with that color, and painting with that color, and then collaging with those items.

Goal: The purpose of this exercise is to help you make sense of your current emotional state.

96. Paint, draw, or collage the things you’re grateful for. Document the things and people you are grateful for in the form of a collage using mixed media.

Goal: This project will help you to feel happy and grateful for the good people and things in your life.

97. Cut and paste a painting to make a collage. Cut up a painting you made and use the pieces to turn it into a collage — a new work of art.

Goal: The purpose of this exercise is to show how closely related creation and destruction can be.

98. Collage a poem. Cut out random words from old books, newspapers, or magazines to craft your own poem.

Goal: This project will tap into your creativity and inspiration to use found words to write something new.

99. Torn drawing exercise. Rip up a drawing you made and use the pieces to create a new work of art.

Goal: The purpose of this exercise is to unlock new levels of creativity.

100. Self-portrait with words collage. Draw a self-portrait. Cut out words from old books, magazines, newspapers, etc., that represent who you are and paste them around your self-portrait.

Goal: This is an exercise in self-exploration for positive self-thinking and well-being.

Art therapy activities serve a purpose beyond arts and crafts. These activities engage your mind, body, and spirit in a way that allows you to communicate your thoughts and emotions through visual and symbolic methods rather than with words alone, fostering self-esteem and self-awareness. Alternative to Meds programs include various forms of art therapy to guide you through your recovery process.
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100 Art Therapy Exercises - The Updated and Improved List

"The healthiest form of projection is art."

~ Fritz Perlz

I have researched current links that reflect the most inspiring art therapy directives on the internet today.

Enjoy!

Shelley Klammer

Emotions

Deal with emotions like anger and sadness through these helpful exercises.

Draw or paint your emotions. In this exercise, you'll focus entirely on painting what you're feeling.
Create an emotion wheel. Using color, this activity will have you thinking critically about your emotions.
Make a meditative painting. Looking for a creative way to relax? Have trouble sitting still to meditate? Meditative painting might be just the thing you're looking for. No painting skill or experience necessary - only a desire to relax and become more creative.
Put together a journal. Journals don't have to just be based around words. You can make an art journal as well, that lets you visually express your emotions.
Explore puppet therapy. Puppets aren't just for kids. Make your own and have them act out scenes that make you upset.
Use line art. Line is one of the simplest and most basic aspects of art, but it can also contain a lot of emotion. Use simple line art to demonstrate visually how you're feeling.
Design a postcard you will never send. Are you still angry or upset with someone in your life? Create a postcard that expresses this, though you don't have to ever send it.
Create a family sculpture. For this activity, you makes a clay representation of each family member-- mother, father, siblings, and any other close or influential family members to explore emotional dynamics and roles within your family.
Paint a mountain and a valley. The mountain can represent a time where you were happy, the valley, when you were sad. Add elements that reflect specific events as well.
Attach a drawing or message to a balloon. Send away negative emotions or spread positive ones by attaching a note or drawing to a balloon and setting it free.
Draw Your Heart. Draw your feelings in a heart formation.

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Relaxation

Art therapy can be a great way to relax. Consider these exercises if you're looking to feel a little more laid back.

Paint to music. Letting your creativity flow in response to music is a great way to let out feelings and just relax.
Make a scribble drawing. With this activity, you'll turn a simple scribble into something beautiful, using line, color and your creativity.
Finger paint. Finger painting isn't just fun for kids– adults can enjoy it as well. Get your hands messy and really have fun spreading the paint around.
Make a mandala. Whether you use the traditional sand or draw one on your own, this meditative symbol can easily help you to loosen up.
Draw with your eyes closed. Not being able to see what you are drawing intensifies fluidity, intuition, touch and sensitivity.
Draw something HUGE. Getting your body involved and moving around can help release emotion as you're drawing.
Use color blocks. Colors often come with a lot of emotions attached. Choose several paint chips to work with and collage, paint and glue until you've created a colorful masterpiece.
Let yourself be free. Don't allow yourself to judge your work. If you think your paintings are too tight and controlled, this collection of tips and techniques to try should help you work in a looser style.
Only use colors that calm you. Create a drawing or a painting using only colors that you find calming.
Draw in sand. Like a Zen garden, this activity will have you drawing shapes and scenes in the sand, which can be immensely relaxing and a great way to clear your mind.
Make a zentangle. These fun little drawings are a great tool for letting go and helping reduce stress.
Color in a design. Sometimes, the simple act of coloring can be a great way to relax. Find a coloring book or use this mandala for coloring.
Draw outside. Working en plein air can be a fun way to relax and get in touch with nature while you're working on art.

Remix ThisHappiness

Art can not only help you deal with the bad stuff, but also help you appreciate and focus on the good. Check out these activities all about reflecting on your personal happiness.

Collage your vision of a perfect day.Think about what constitutes a perfect day to you and collage it. What about this collage can you make happen today?
Take photographs of things you think are beautiful. No one else has to like them but you. Print and frame them to have constant reminders of the beautiful things in life.
Make a collage related to a quote you like. Take the words of wisdom from someone else and turn them into something visually inspiring.
Create a drawing that represents freedom. The Surrealists embraced automatic drawing as way to incorporate randomness and the subconscious into their drawings, and to free themselves from artistic conventions and everyday thinking.
Document a spiritual experience. Have you ever had a spiritual experience in your life? Paint what it felt like intuitively.
Make a stuffed animal. Soft, cuddly objects can be very comforting. This project could be used to create an imaginary animal from your intuitive drawings.
Work on a softness project. Using only soft or comforting objects, create a work of art.
Build a "home." What does home mean to you? This activity will have you create a safe, warm place that feels like home to you.
Document an experience where you did something you didn't think you could do. We all have to do things that we're scared or unsure of sometimes. Use this activity as a chance to commemorate one instance in your life.
Think up a wild invention. This invention should do something that can help make you happier– no matter what that is.
Make a prayer flag. Send your prayers for yourself or those around you out into the universe with this project.

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Portraits

Often, a great way to get to know yourself and your relationships with others is through portraits.

Create a past, present and future self-portrait. This drawing or painting should reflect where you have been, who you are today, and how see yourself in the future.
Draw a bag self-portrait. On the outside of a paper bag, you'll create a self-portrait. On the inside, you'll fill it with things that represent who you are.
Choose the people who matter most to you in life and create unique art for each.This is a great way to acknowledge what really matters to you and express your gratitude.
"I am" Collage. Create an intuitive collage and discover more about yourself.
Create an expressive self-portrait. Paint in expressive colors. Select colors for emotional impact.
Draw yourself as a warrior. Start thinking about yourself as a strong, capable person by drawing yourself as a warrior in this activity.
Create a transformational portrait series. Transform your perceptions about yourself with this list of self-portrait ideas.
Imitate Giuseppe Arcimboldo. Using objects that have meaning to you, create a portrait of yourself.
Create a body image sketch. Practice life drawing to fall in love with all of the varieties of the human body, including your own.
Draw a mirror self-portrait. This activity is based around a Piet Mondrian quote: "The purer the artist's mirror is, the more true reality reflects in it."
Draw yourself as a superhero. Many people like superhero stories. We resonate with the themes in the stories, with the dilemmas and problems that superheroes face, and we aspire to their noble impulses and heroic acts.

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Trauma and Loss

These activities will ask you to face some unpleasant aspects of life, but with the goal of overcoming them.

Draw a place where you feel safe. An art therapy directive for finding your safe place.
Create a mini-diorama. A diorama can showcase an important moment in your life or something from your imagination.
Collage Your Worries Away. Toss your worries away and begin tearing, cutting, shreddingand layering,
Draw something that scares you. Everyone is frightened of something and in this project you'll get a chance to bring that fear to light and hopefully work towards facing it.
Turn your illness into art. Struggling with a potentially terminal illness? Process your feelings about your illness.
Art journal through a loss in your life. If you've lost someone you love, process it in your art journal.
Make art that is ephemeral. Sand painting is practiced in many cultures, usually for healing purposes. Create beautiful patterns with sand on canvas.

Collaging

If you prefer to cut and paste rather than draw or paint, these projects are for you.

Create a motivational collage. Collage a vision board. Fill it with images you find motivating.
Create a face collage on a mask. We all wear masks of some sort. This project lets you showcase what's in your mask and the face you put on for the world.
Create a clutter collage. Are there things cluttering up your life? In this project, use words and pictures to show the clutter in your way.
Create a calming collage. Choose images that you find soothing, calming or even meditative and combine them to create a collage to help you to relax.
Collage a painting. Incorporate collage symbolism in a painting.

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Self

Examine aspects if who you are and how you see the world through these art projects.

Draw images of your good traits. Creating drawings of your good traits will help you to become more positive and build a better self-image.
Draw yourself as an animal. Is there an animal that you have a special interest in or feel like is a kindred spirit? Draw yourself as that animal.
Create a timeline journal. Timeline the most important moments of your life through this writing therapy exercise.
Put together a jungle animal collage. Choose jungle animals that you find the most interesting, draw them, and then reflect on why you've chosen these specific animals.
Sculpt your ideal self. If you could make yourself into the perfect person, what would you look like?
Paint different sides of yourself. Explore your many emotions through painting.
Make art with your fingerprints. Your fingerprints are as unique as you are. Use ink and paint to make art that uses your fingerprints.
Draw yourself as a tree.Your roots will be loaded with descriptions of things that give you strength and your good qualities, while your leaves can be the things that you're trying to change.
Design a fragments box. In this project, you'll put fragments of yourself into a box, helping construct a whole and happier you.
Paint an important childhood memory. What was a pivotal memory in your childhood? This activity asks you to document it and try to understand why it was so important to you.
Write and illustrate a fairy tale about yourself. If you could put yourself into a happily ever after situation, what role would you play and how would the story go? Create a book that tells the tale.
Design a visual autobiography. This creative project asks you to make a visual representation of your life.
Create your own coat of arms. Choose symbols that represent your strengths to build your own special coat of arms.
Draw a comic strip. Enjoy a moment of levity with this exercise that will focus in on a comical event that happened to you.
Build your own website. Websites are very versatile ways to express yourself. Build your own to express what's most important about you.
Create a box of values. First, collage or paint a box the represents you. Then, place items inside the box that represent the things you value the most.

Remix This
Gratitude

Here you'll find a collection of projects that will help you be happy about what you have and express your gratitude for it.

Document your gratitude visually.What things are you grateful for in your life? Paint or collage a work that represents these things.
Create a family tree of strength. This exercise honors those around you who support you. Paint those close to you who offer you the strength you need.
Make something for someone else. Making something for someone else can be a great way to feel good and help someone else do so as well.
Make anchor art. Who are the anchors in your life? In this project, you'll make an anchor and decorate it with the people and things that provide you stability and strength.
Draw all the positive things in your life. Everyone has at least one good thing in life, so sit down and figure out what makes you happy– then draw it.
Sculpt your hand in plaster. Explore the symbolism of hand casting.
Paint a rock. Paint rocks for relaxation and fun.
Create a gratitude tree. What are you grateful for? This clay project asks you to write those things on leaves to construct a tree.
Create a life map. A Life Map helps you discover what you want for yourself and your life
Create a snowflake out of paper. Write ideas about how you are unique on the snowflake.
Build a personal altar. This is a highly personal project that will help connect you with your spiritual side and honor your resilience.

Inside the Mind

Take a look inside your mind to see what's going on with these projects.

Create blot art. Like a classic Rorschach test, fold paper in half with paint or ink in the middle and describe what you see.
Mind Mapping. Make a visual representation of your thoughts to figure out how your mind works.
Make a dreamcatcher. Having bad dreams? Create this age-old tool for catching your dreams with a few simple tools.
Draw your dreams. You can learn a lot from what goes on in your dreams, so keep a dream journal and use it for inspiration to draw or paint.

Remix This
Miscellaneous

If you're still looking for something to empower, help or soothe you, these projects may fit the bill.

Use natural materials. Leaves, sticks, dirt, clay and other natural materials can help you get in touch with the natural world and the more primal side of yourself.
Explore archetypes. Study the archetypes to help you explore how you see and create your world.
Use your body as a canvas. You don't need paper when you have your body. Paint on your hands and feet or anywhere else to feel more in touch with yourself.
Sculpt spirit figures. Connect with those that have passed on or your own spiritual essence using these sculpted figures.
Make art out of recycled items. You can reuse old items that have meaning to you or just re-purpose something you have laying around. Either way, you'll get insights into how you can reshape and reevaluate your own life.
Collage with old photographs. If you're uncomfortable using old photos you can make copies. Explore these mixed media techniques with your old photos.
Create your own interpretation of a famous work of art. How would you have painted the Mona Lisa? Using a famous work as your inspiration, create your own work. It could help reveal more about your lens on the world.
Work collaboratively. Art can be better when two work at it together, so find a partner and collaborate on just about anything.
Use a found or made object as a paintbrush. Whether it's something sharp or something soft, make your own artistic tool and use it to express what you're feeling.
Make crayon stained glass. Reflect upon your spiritual side with this project that lets you create your own stained glass window.
Paint a window. Windows let you see in and see out. Paint yours with things you want to hide or show to the world.

Continuous drawing | PADAP

Emergency psychological assistance to children in difficult life situations
( children forced to leave their homes due to war and/or occupation of the territory ),
through the Jungian method "Serial Drawing".

Authors of the program: Oksana Zalesskaya, Maria Morya, Natalia Goryachek, Olga Penzyur.

In stressful situations, the child turns to the inner realm of the unconscious in search of images and symbols that contain potential possibilities and seeds of healing. Serial drawing is a therapeutic approach in which the psychologist has regular meetings with the child and asks him to "just draw a picture." In the process of such meetings, certain relationships are formed, problems are symbolically expressed in drawings, and as a result, an opportunity arises for healing and resolving internal conflicts. nine0014

Purpose: to organize individual targeted psychological assistance to children, internally displaced persons.

Tasks:

Processing the experience of loss (home, family, friends).
Processing feelings of separation, stress and anxiety associated with adaptation to a new place.
Help in expressing and accepting feelings of sadness and anger in the current situation. nine0014
Organization of a process aimed at activating the healing forces of the child's psyche, integrating new experience and restoring natural needs for growth and development.

Features of method :

Short term.
Security.
nine0019 Profitability.
Efficiency.
Combination of group and individual work.

Serial drawing involves weekly drawing classes in the presence of a psychologist. A stable place, a regular time, a designated number of meetings, rituals for the beginning and end of a lesson, a designation of the rules for storing drawings with a psychologist during the entire therapeutic process are important for holding. Serial drawing is a non-directive method, the child is asked to "draw any drawing you want. " The white sheet of paper becomes a "safe place" for projections, while symbols and images take the form of "receptacles" for various emotions, thus allowing the expression of feelings. With such a safe expression, the child's emotional state stabilizes, and new images (feelings) arise that allow him to master the new situation and overcome the challenges of the traumatic event. nine0014

Of particular importance is the attentive attitude of the psychologist to the work of the child, to his symbols as they are revealed in their dynamics. This important directed attention to the child's creativity, to his images changes the situation and creates not only the prerequisites for healing, but also for deepening and enriching his inner life.

In the process of such meetings, certain relationships are formed, external problems and internal conflicts gradually find symbolic expression in the drawings, and as a result, there is an opportunity for healing, conflict resolution and transformation. When discussing drawings, Jung emphasized the importance of "serial" time-based consideration of drawings instead of analyzing one or more drawings, this allows you to track and understand the dynamics of the development of feelings. At the end of the work, the child receives a folder with his drawings. nine0014

The dynamics of each child has its own pace, determined by the nature of the psychological trauma, the problems and the strength of the ego of a particular child. Although the existence of general patterns of psychological dynamics has been noted, nevertheless, some children begin with the formation of images of suffering, others with the formation of images of compensation and healing, and still others are limited to the creation of stereotypical drawings. Some children spend a lot of time creating painful images, others go directly to images of healing (losing the need to consider suffering), and still others "get bogged down" in the many contradictions between the desire for growth and destruction. It takes time to discover these unique patterns, hence the serial nature of the mentioned method. nine0014

During classes, the psychologist sits next to the child. At the initial stage, the psychologist says little if the child does not initiate the conversation. Children with an introverted attitude have a tendency to silently work on drawings, and this tendency should be treated with sufficient attention. When drawing, children with an extroverted attitude often seek to convey the dynamics of the drawing with the help of sounds. These kids love to talk. It is necessary to react to them in a minimum volume, focusing on the figure. The psychologist does not initiate the conversation and does not keep any notes. He simply observes the child, how he relates to drawing, noting the placement of figures, types of images and symbols, as well as themes that arise in the child's drawings. nine0014

The psychologist creates an atmosphere, helps establish trust, and allows the child to draw and talk. First, the psychologist must track the direction of the child's activities. If the child is talking while drawing, the psychologist reacts by reflecting feelings and answering questions. If a child engaged in drawing behaves very calmly, then the psychologist also remains silent, confining himself to observing the child's feelings and images that appear in the drawings.

At the end of each session, the psychologist asks, “Does this drawing represent a story? Can you tell me what's going on in the picture? Does the drawing have a title? Sometimes it is useful to achieve amplification with the following questions: “What events precede this pattern? What will happen next? In addition, at the final stage of the lesson, it is appropriate to ask the child about unusual observations that he made in the process of drawing. Questions should be asked at the end of the session so as not to interrupt the flow of the child's creative activity. This process involves more than just drawing, because it gives the child the opportunity to psychologically overcome some of the internal ideas, problems and conflicts. nine0014

Structure of the organization of the assistance process.

Organization of a team of specialists of 5 people (with a car, for a trip to remote places of residence of internally displaced persons)
Establish contact with a community representative who will represent the interests and help organize on-site training.
Organize a room for classes, where he can work with five children at the same time.
Buy paints, paper (A3), oilcloths (5 pcs.), paper towels, wet wipes, cups, brushes, pencils, erasers, folders for drawings, palettes, symbolic surprises (wooden frames, tops, helicopters, etc., which can be colored), a water bottle (if there is no access to water).
nine0019 Organize a general meeting with parents and clarify the goals and objectives of working with children, enlist their support in the organization (start and end times), give them the opportunity to ask questions about the child if necessary.
Individual lessons are held once a week for 30 minutes for each child, a break of 5 minutes between classes. In one visit, five specialists can provide assistance for up to 15 children. One specialist can work with three children. nine0014
At the first meeting with the child, it is important to indicate the number of meetings (7), a certain day, the start and end time of the lesson, the rule for storing drawings (in a folder prepared by a psychologist), the rule for the final meeting at which the completion ritual takes place (viewing and discussing the entire series of drawings, joint coloring of the symbolic surprise prepared by the psychologist), meeting with parents.
nine0019 The psychologist prepares the workplace for the child and cleans up after him, organizing a space of safety and care.
At the end of the child's work with the drawing, the psychologist fixes the theme of the drawing, the child's comments and his own comments on the drawing process, on the drawing itself, and his own. The date, the subject of the drawing and the name of the child are put on the drawing.
At the end of each meeting, psychologists hold a final discussion of working with children, share their feelings and images, processing the experience of children. nine0014
Before the final meeting, the psychologists discuss a series of drawings for each child, processing and symbolizing the emotional experience.

Efficiency of the method: the method was tested with displaced children from the Crimea (the village of Litki recreation center "Metro"), showed good results.

During July-August 2014, child psychologists-volunteers Oksana Zalesskaya, Natalia Goryachek, Maria Morya and psychologist of the foundation Olga Penzyur conducted serial drawing classes for children from Crimea free of charge. 2 times a week 9children had the opportunity to regularly engage in drawing in the presence of psychologists. Thanks to the method of "serial drawing" based on the principles of Jungian therapy, the healing potential of children was activated, and internal and external conflicts found their expression. A sheet of white paper has become a safe place for children who had to leave their home, relatives, friends, where they have the opportunity to express their feelings. The symbols and images of the drawings reflected the actual difficulties and experiences of children. After each meeting, the psychologists discussed the children's work and gave each other feedback, which helped process the experience. The final conversation with parents provided an opportunity to discuss the results of the work and provide recommendations individually for each child. nine0014

Sand therapy for children: educational and creative games

Sand therapy for children makes a significant contribution to the development of cognitive and creative abilities, speech, fine motor skills and tactile sensitivity. Sand helps the child get rid of negative emotions, relax and relieve stress. Joint play and creativity with parents have a beneficial effect on family relationships. nine0014

How to deal with a child?

You can draw with sand and on sand. We recommend that you conduct classes on a table with illumination "ECOVED" and use purified quartz sand. The hands of the baby and adult should be dry.

Lightboard drawing techniques

1. Pouring . The sand is pressed into a fist and passed through the fingers. The technique is suitable for drawing lines.

2. Pinch . The child connects the thumb, middle and index fingers, picks up some sand and scatters it. The method allows you to convey tones and shadows. nine0014

3. Palm . With an open palm, the child levels the layer of sand, erases the drawing, leaves prints.

4. Knuckle . The child squeezes his palm and with the back forms a spot on the sandy layer.

5. Finger painting . This method allows you to create lines of different thicknesses and points, to achieve image clarity. As a rule, children begin to work with the index finger. Encourage the child to use all fingers on both hands, to make parallel movements. This stimulates brain activity. nine0014

6. Drawing with tools . Drawings, lines, ornaments are created using a comb. Pay attention to the baby how the pattern changes depending on the pressure.

Games and art therapy exercises

Sandy beach

Invite the child to imagine that he is on the seashore on a sunny day, grains of sand tickle his palms, the splash of waves is heard, silence is around. Let the baby touch the sand, take a handful with a deep breath and squeeze his fingers as hard as possible. On exhalation, the child gradually pours out the sand and relaxes. nine0014

Purpose: development of tactile sensitivity, regulation of muscle tension, development of self-control.

Tracks

Start with simple straight strips. Then move on to broken, broken and wavy lines. Invite your child to draw a path home for their favorite fairy tale character.

Purpose: improvement of coordination of movements and orientation in space.

Additional exercises: "Rain" - for working out the outline of vertical lines. "Ladders" - this exercise teaches you to combine vertical and horizontal lines. nine0014

Sand doodles

Two people are playing. One person closes his eyes while the other draws a simple scrawl in the sand. Then the first participant opens their eyes and can complete the doodle, turning it into some understandable image. Then the players switch roles.

Purpose: development of the imagination.

My favorite toy

A child draws his favorite toy with sand and then describes it in words without naming it. An adult or other children present must guess what kind of thing it is. nine0014

Purpose: development of coherent speech and communication skills, the formation of the ability to understand each other.

Animal portraits

Invite your child to draw animals with sand that express joy, delight, anger, fear, sadness, surprise. Ask the little artist to tell who he portrayed, what mood this hero has, what feelings he feels, what happened to him and why, how he can be helped.

Purpose: acquaintance with basic emotions, learning to determine the emotional state, help in understanding one's own feelings, development of coherent speech. nine0014

Riddles

Guess any object: animal, bird, plant, piece of furniture, toy. Invite the child to guess what you have in mind, according to the suggestive characteristics. If a pear is thought of, it can be described as follows: it is a fruit; grows on a tree; looks like a light bulb. The child should draw their answer on the light table.

You can guess and describe events. For example, celebrating the New Year, going on a visit. Switch roles so that the child has the opportunity to come up with riddles. nine0014

Purpose: development of logical and associative thinking, imagination.

Gardener

“Turn” the light table into an orchard and invite your child to plant it with different plants. The kid makes drawings and tells what grows where. Ask him to describe fruits, vegetables and berries in terms of color, shape and taste. Try together to depict trees and shrubs on which fruits ripen.

Purpose: acquaintance with the outside world and broadening of horizons, development of thinking and coherent speech. nine0014

Draw a picture

Use sand to draw circles, squares, triangles on the light table and ask your child to complete the picture so that you get a sun, a ball, a house, a flag, a piece of cheese.

Purpose: development of figurative memory, imagination.

Dressy socks

Children play in pairs or with an adult. The task of the participants is to draw two socks so that they make a set. To do this, you need to agree on what pattern will be on the socks, and try to depict it the same way. nine0014

Purpose: development of the ability to work in a team, negotiate and come to a common decision, the formation of the skill of mutual assistance.

Footprints

Have your child imagine what the footprints of certain creatures, such as a hippopotamus or spider, look like and draw them in the sand. Discuss the resulting prints: who left them, what is his name, where did he go, where did he come from, in what emotional state was he. You can also depict traces of large raindrops or car tires, use sand rollers. nine0014

Purpose: acquaintance with the outside world, development of speech and imagination.

Sand Writing

Prepare cut-out cardboard letters or numbers for play. You can use large symbols from magnetic sets. Give your child a letter or number and ask them to make it out of sand. Rake the sand with the edges of your palms and form a letter. Check the sand letter with the original and start making the next one. So a whole City of Letters will appear on the light table!

Letters and numbers can be not only molded, but also written. Let the child draw the desired image first with his finger. Then you can use the stick, holding it like a pen. nine0014

Purpose: consolidation of the graphic image of letters and numbers, the formation of graphomotor skills.

Photographer

You need to play in pairs. Both participants carefully look at each other, try to remember the features and hairstyle. After that, the children begin to draw a portrait of a friend with sand - to take a photo. When the "snapshots" are ready, discuss how accurate they are.

Purpose: development of communication skills, mindfulness and social activity. nine0014

Journey through fairyland

Let the child dream up and draw a fairytale kingdom on the light table. Give the young entertainer time to be creative, and then ask him to tell the name of the country, who lives in it, what character these characters have, what events take place in the fairy tale.

Purpose: development of fantasy, logic and coherent speech.

Treasure hunt

You will need small items or stickers to play. Draw together with your child on a sheet of paper a diagram with conditional images of a tree, river, mountain, forest, houses. Use this map to create a sand painting. nine0014

When the drawing is ready, ask the child to turn away and hide a small “secret” anywhere on the drawing. Put a cross in the appropriate place on the paper diagram. Give the map to the little treasure hunter and offer to find the treasure.

Purpose: learning to draw maps, development of spatial thinking, logic, imagination.

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