A few weeks ago I shared about working on my Gluebook Goodness project from the Six Degrees of Creativity online workshop. This weekend I have been working on another workshop--The Altered Image by Fiona Fitzpatrick. I thought I would share some about my process so that others can try as well. This workshop involves altering a photograph by hand, not on the computer. In order to try your own altered image, get a photo that is printed on glossy paper. I printed my pictures out on my inkjet … [Read more...]
The Road of Your Life
This past week I have been on the road a lot, moving from California to Texas. With this journey on my mind, I thought I would share about an art therapy intervention to represent one's life like a road. Draw the Road of Your Life I usually give the client a prompt that goes something like this: "Imagine your life is like a journey along a road. Draw a picture to represent what this road would look like. Think about the the important events that have happened so far and where you hope to be … [Read more...]
Memory Book–A Termination Activity
I recently left my job at a community mental health agency and had to say goodbye to my clients, so termination activities have been on my mind. One of my favorite activities to do with children, especially when they are terminating because they have completed therapy (as opposed to the therapist leaving), is creating a memory book. In this activity, the therapist and child work together to create a small book that the child can take home when they leave therapy, providing a transitional … [Read more...]
Color Your Feelings: Art Therapy Interventions
In my last post, I discussed symbolism and meaning of colors in art therapy. Today I would like to share a related art therapy intervention. The basic intervention is to have the client choose colors that represent their feelings and then color an abstract picture. This can be a great intervention for children or adults, can be done with any media, and can be tailored to the particular situation, client, or need. As a way to increase awareness of emotions, try this directive: "List … [Read more...]
Color Symbolism in Art Therapy
Color wheel by Goethe in 1809. Understanding the symbolism of colors can be an important component of art therapy. Colors can communicate meaning just as importantly as images and words. As an artist, one can select different colors in order to convey a particular message or trigger a certain feeling in the viewer. As an art therapist, it is important for one to be aware of the possible meanings and symbolism of different colors that clients may use in their art. At times, clients … [Read more...]