The Artful Life

As an expressive arts therapist, one of my greatest pleasures is helping people access their inner artist. Our inner artist is flexible, creative, unafraid to try new things, open to fresh insights, and takes pleasures in small joys. Our inner artist is able to get messy, make “mistakes,” and find new ways of thinking and doing. Sounds great, right? And yet so often there are beliefs that block us from feeling comfortably creative - beliefs or thoughts we have that prevent us from accessing our inner artist. So often when I sit with people, I hear, “I’m not an artist,” “I can’t do art,” “I’m not doing it right,” or “This looks terrible!” I have lost count of how many people have come into my office with a dejected look saying, “I’m a lost cause, I can’t even make a stick figure look good!” I call these blocking beliefs “Art Myths.” They afflict not just the old, but increasingly the young as well, who, frustrated by a perceived error, crumple up their paper because it “doesn’t ...

History Lesson: The Beginnings and Progression of Expressive Arts Therapy  Expressive Arts Therapy can be traced back to the mid twentieth century and has beautifully blossomed into the twenty first century. That said, the field of is rather new and is still evolving and expanding. Expressive Arts Therapy is viewed as a hybrid discipline, meaning that it is rooted heavily in the fields of psychology, and of course – art. The work of an art therapist draws characteristics from both psychology and art, creating a unique, new entity. Art-making comes naturally to humans; therefore, the development of the profession of art therapy is a formal application of long-standing human tradition influenced by the changing times and the needs of society. Modern expressive arts therapy emerged in the early 1900’s when psychiatrists began categorizing the spontaneously created art works of asylum patients.  The field of psychology has a long and unfortunate history of stigmatizing me...

Therapeutic Activity: 30 Minutes of Calm -- With SLIME! Do you feel that you, or your child, is stressed, tense, or just needs a break from technology? If the answer is yes, this blog post is for you! Stress is very common, and nearly one third of Americans are living with it (“Stress a Major Health," 2004). Daily stressors can include even the most common situations; from running late, suffering from a headache, or feeling like your to-do list is just too long. What do you do when life starts to feel too overwhelming; when stress is something you need an escape from? How, in my busy life, can I attempt to calm down myself, or my child in 30 minutes or less? The short answer is by having fun! The longer answer is through a mindfulness activity, which we have provided for you below. Children (and adults, let's be honest!) love SLIME , and over the past few years it has become a growing fad. Working with slime qualifies as a mindfulness activity, and a recent study ...

1. Read the book "Beautiful Oops" to your child 2. Model curiosity – help them see the “art” in the world around you 3. Avoid criticism of your child’s creations 4. Ask open-ended questions about your child’s artwork 5. Engage in art-making together 6. Explore art materials 7. Encourage risk-taking 8. Focus on process over product Looking for more ways to incorporate art into your life? Keep an eye out on our website and social media pages for inspiration and activities! The Artful Life Counseling Center & Studio (Facebook) artfullifecenter (Instagram) www.artfullifecenter.org (Website)

'Let the Art In' leaves the reader with thoughts to consider about experiencing a more colorful and fulfilling life. As we move toward a society that is heavily influenced by technology, and move away from face to face interaction, it is easy for young people to lose sight of who they are. Everyday stressors aside, social media sets the bar incredibly high for young people, and many won’t rest until they have achieved whatever they perceive as ‘perfection.’ With this warped perception, young people are often plagued by mental illness, a growing epidemic across the country. How can we fight mental illness in a safe way while also raising awareness? Look no further, because adapting a more artful life for yourself or your child, will lead to answers and benefits you never thought possible.  "Free Time is Me Time" The first step to finding wellness through art is to allot a time and space to be one with yourself, separate from your everyday routine. Although...