Art therapy is a broad term used to refer to the practice of creating as a way to heal wounds of the mind or spirit. While art therapists are employed with increasing frequency at hospitals, nursing homes, in schools, and in treatment programs for a wide swatch of ailments, the rejuvenating, stress-busting results of such a practice are something we can all benefit from. Invite your creative side out to dance with these 20 art therapy ideas you can pursue at home:
Design a postcard.
Give thanks with cards of your own.
Cut and paste a collage.
Make a digital collage.
Draw in response to music.
Bring a motivational message to a colorful life.
Move those magnetic words around.
Bedazzle the box.
Create an affirmation you can carry with you.
Brighten up old clothing.
Color it real.
Map out your heart.
Capture pain in chalk…
Sculpt a better state.
Give art therapy a hand.
Not feeling drawn to the more traditional arts? Try one of these, and continue to reap the healing rewards:
Redecorate a room.
Gather with friends, and create in public.
String prayer or meditation beads.
Rake the sand.
Whether you’re taking a fork to a plate of sand on your desk or hauling a truck full of tools to the beach, raking patterns is a good way to release emotions in an economical, non-permanent sense. Your creation can be a deliberate piece, or simply a series of geometric shapes that help you blow off steam. For an added shot of healing power, work on a large enough scale that the physical exertion required to wield your rake both calms and burns off excess energy or anxiety.
Help something grow.
Need some convincing that art therapy is a good choice for you? Consider these 10 Things You Never Knew You Could Learn From Art. Featured photo credit: Chalk Drawings at Third Street via flickr.com
