Three Art Therapy Techniques

Making our own art can be a helpful way to deal with difficult emotions or improve our self-awareness.

There are times when we don’t have the words to express what we are feeling, and channeling our emotions through creativity may be just what we need to express ourselves. Here are 3 art therapy techniques to process feelings, manage stress, and get in tune with ourselves.

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Meditate through Finger Painting

As children we paint with our fingers as a way to develop our creativity, but finger painting isn’t only reserved for kids! As adults we can use finger painting as a way to encourage self-expression and movement within our art. For those of us who have difficulty sitting still while meditating, the repetitive movements within finger painting can be what helps us focus on the present moment and get us into a meditative state. This method of creating art isn’t about aesthetics, it’s simply a tool to relax and centre ourselves.

Collage Your Vision of a Perfect Day

Cut and paste images from a collection of magazines onto a piece of paper to create an image of the perfect day. Creating a visual collage of our idea of a perfect day can help us get in tune with what we need more of in our daily life.

Create a Past, Present and Future Self-Portrait

The purpose of this practice is to highlight the way we transform and grow through challenges. To create the first piece, the “past self”, reflect on a past experience that was particularly challenging for you. Draw a self-portrait based on that time and how you felt when it happened. For the second piece, the “present” self, create a self-portrait that reflects where you are at today. This may mean drawing ourselves in various colours that uniquely represent our current emotions based on the past challenging experience. For the final piece, create a self-portrait that reflects how you wish to see yourself change, grow, and evolve in the future based on how you have transformed from your past difficult experiences.