Creativity in Therapy

Inspiring therapists and counselors to be more creative

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Is There a Place For Coloring Books in Art Therapy?

What are your thoughts on adult coloring books? Whether you love them or hate them, it seems like the interest in coloring will not be waning any time soon. Many people – both kids and adults – find coloring to be an enjoyable activity, finding that it calms their stress while allowing them to feel proud of their creative accomplishment. I believe that art therapists (and other creative therapists) should consider how coloring can be included in our therapeutic work – recognizing that it has … [Read more...]

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Crafting in Therapy

In the profession of Art Therapy, activities that are seen as “crafts” are often not given as much focus as the traditional fine arts, like painting, drawing, and sculpture. However, I believe there is value in offering crafting in our creative therapy approaches or in looking at the therapeutic value of clients doing crafts. One of the important aspects of art therapy is the guidance of a well-trained art therapist – the therapist guides clients toward the art media and types of art-making … [Read more...]

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When The Art Feels Like A Failure

If you use art in therapy, I’m sure you’ve heard these types of things… “This is no good. I’ve never been an artist.” “I can tell you now that this is going to look horrible.” “I messed it up.” “Can I throw this away?” “It looks like a child drew this. I feel like I’m in kindergarten.” “This is triggering my ______ (anxiety, self-criticism, perfectionism, anger, etc).” Most artists and art therapist know that failures and imperfect art are sometimes part of the creative process. But … [Read more...]

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Exploring the Stages of the Creative Process

Everyone has the potential to be creative, whether it’s through art or something else. Creativity is something that goes far beyond simply creating a painting, sculpture, or piece of music. Creativity is a tool and a value that we can bring to many aspects of our life. Sometimes creative therapists can get really focused on looking for specific directives and activities that they can do with clients. And although these directives can be helpful to have, it can be just as important to be able … [Read more...]

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Altered Book Pages – Art & Blackout Poetry

Blackout poetry and altered book pages can help you stretch your creativity and tap into your intuition. I recently volunteered with the South Texas Art Therapy Association to run a booth at Maker Faire Austin. At our booth, visitors could create blackout poetry, altered book pages, and Random Act of Creative Kindness Cards. It was so great to watch visitors slow down and take the time to be creative. Many people seemed to approach the activity as a chance for relaxation or fun play. A few … [Read more...]

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