Three Reasons Why I LOVE Art Therapy

The number one question I am usually asked in my daily life is “what is art therapy, what do you do?”. First off, this is super exciting to me that someone wants to learn more about art therapy and secondly instead of trying to make a quick elevator pitch I prefer to list three reasons why I LOVE it.

Art therapy can amplify and celebrate our strengths.

Using art therapy can provide us an opportunity to amplify and celebrate strengths that are already inside us. This can look like creating a ‘Who Am I?‘ collage and recognizing how you are a caring and kind friend to those around you. Or maybe you’re trying to create a clay octopus but it keeps falling apart over and over again. Instead of giving up, you might use your strength of problem-solving and adaptability to change the plans and create an eight headed lion instead. Having opportunities to utilize and celebrate our strengths alongside an art therapist can build resilience when we face challenges in our lives.

We can learn new things about ourselves and build new skills.

In art therapy groups or one-to-one with an art therapist we have the opportunity to try new ways to interact with others and test out new skills. Maybe at home we feel nervous or anxious about sharing our toys with a sibling so we prevent that from happening by not letting them touch our stuff. Joining an art therapy group would give us an opportunity to try out and explore different ways we can share supplies and practice making boundaries around this to build our social skills. When we practice how to interact with others in an art therapy group we can expand and apply this awareness to our daily life.

We don’t have to talk about our problems directly.

Instead of trying to talk about our problem using direct words, art therapy provides an opportunity to explore using metaphors, stories and symbols to show how we feel. It can be nerve wracking or scary to speak to our worries directly. Maybe we are feeling anxiety about starting at a new school. When creating with an art therapist we might create puppets and a story about what the first day of school might look. As we create the story and the identity of our new puppet we can explore how the puppet feels and what we could do to help them calm their anxieties if they are feeling worried. When we use metaphors, stories or symbols we have a chance to transform what is making us feel anxious and interact with it in a new way that maybe words can’t get to.

There we have it, three reasons why I LOVE art therapy. Now let’s go make some art!

Take Me With You To The Beach

Let’s adventure to the beach this summer! Being outside in nature can tap into our five senses.

Can you see a sailboat or a crab?

Can you hear a bird chirping?

Can you smell the ocean or seaweed?

Can you touch a log or smooth sea glass?

Can you taste your cool drink?

Now let’s go outside and see who gets a B-I-N-G-O first, I’ll race you!

Take a Walk With Your Nature Side

“Let’s go play outside!” exclaimed a young boy walking through the grocery store. Smiling, I thought to myself: “When is the last time I was bursting to play outside with that sort of enthusiasm?”. I am fortunate to live in a climate with mild winters, breezy oceanside walks and overflowing community gardens to admire. Using eco art therapy can invigorate our senses and bring a deeper awareness of ourselves and the world surrounding us. When we make art inspired by or using natural materials, we create wonder filled moments of play and exploration that lead to increased well-being and empathy.

Now the question is: how can we engage with the surrounding natural world in a new and playful way?

Get to Know Your Neighbours (Not the Human Kind)

Do you know what a giant onion looks like? Neither did I until last month, when I came across this big purple sphere of flowers on a tall green stalk. It’s not even related to an onion. Do you know the different types of star fish that have been popping up around the breakwater? There are lots to meet if you have a keen eye. Treat every walk like a scavenger hunt and find a new plant or animal neighbour that you haven’t met before. Find out their name, what habitat they like to live in, their ideal watering schedule, lifespan, and if they are endangered or at risk. To identify new neighbours in your community you could buy a new or used book from a local store, download an app on your phone, or take a picture for later to do an image search at home.

Create Art Materials From Nature

Canadian art therapist, Tyler Burke introduced me to the book Make Ink: A Forager’s Guide to Natural Inkmaking. The founder of the Toronto Ink Company, Jason Logan, does an amazing job of inspiring others to make ink from what they stumble upon in their environments. Word of caution is to identify what you are making natural ink from before you start, as some plants can be toxic to people or pet friends. I personally have made blueberry ink at home and after some experimentation can make 3 shades depending on what you add to the mix.

Another material you can make at home is sand dough. Think squishy, textured, probably messy, and fun. Making sand dough is a big experiment where you get to explore different types of sand depending on which beach you go to, what recipe do you want to use and what can your imagination dream up to add as a little extra (sprinkles, nutmeg, fairy dust).

Here is a simple recipe to get you started:

1 cup plain flour

1 cup sand

¼ cup salt

1tbsp cream of tartar

1 tbsp oil

¾ cup hot water

Add flour, sand, salt, and cream of tartar to a bowl and mix.

Add oil and water, then mix well until a dough forms.

Knead your sand dough and experiment with adding more sand or flour until the mixture is no longer sticky.

Next time you hear a child exclaim that they want to play outside maybe you’ll feel a jolt of excitement too and find wonder in your neighbourhood. Happy exploring and art making!