5 Most Effective Expressive Art Therapy Activities

All of us find distinct ways to express our feelings. Whether it is music, dance, story-telling, poetry, or painting — the common shared goal is to express what one is feeling. This is precisely what expressive art therapy means. It is a creative approach toward dealing with your inner self through different art forms.

Expressive art therapy is a dynamic process that combines psychology and creativity to enhance emotional growth and wellness. It uses one’s emotions and desires to create any form of art, be it poems, paintings, stories, and much more. The psychological aspect of expressive art therapy activities helps one indulge with their true self and make sense of their thoughts and behaviors. The creative side helps one explore different forms of art and broaden their sense of imagination. 

To help begin this enlightening process, here are the easiest and most effective expressive art therapy activities for you.

Expressive Art Therapy Activities

1. Poetry

Poetry is one of the best expressive art therapy activities to express emotions that are otherwise too difficult to articulate. It helps to give a tangible word form to your feelings, making it easier to deal with them. Moreover, it can also be used to enhance the power of writing and gain a different and improved perspective on life. 

2. Draw your safe space.

Think of a surrounding that makes you feel safe and allows you to be the version of yourself you have always wanted. It can be your childhood home, your favorite corner of your bedroom, or even an imaginary location. This exercise will help you identify the things that calm you and the people whose company you enjoy the most.

3. Make a forgiveness box.

Most of us struggle to deal with our negative emotions toward others. If you are harboring hidden anger toward a person, making a forgiveness box is the perfect expressive art therapy activity for you.

Take a small box and decorate it with soothing and calming words that can be specific to the person or generic in nature. You can paste the name of the person you are angry at in the center of the box. The idea behind the activity is to help you let go of your negative feelings and associate happy memories with the concerned individual’s image. 

Read more: Therapeutic Art Activities To Help You Relax

4. Turns your fears into real monsters.

If you have been struggling to deal with your fears, it is time to have a one-to-one conversation with them finally. Sometimes the best way to deal with your fears is to face them head-on. Think of anything that frightens you, say spiders, being a failure, etc. Give this fear a figure or shape. Having a real figure outside your body will strip the figure of some, if not all, of the power it has over you. This will help you overcome the fear eventually.

5. Craft your guardian angel.

Have you ever heard of dreamcatchers? Well, we are slightly changing the tradition and giving you the idea of creating a dream guardian angel for yourself. You can use feathers, beads, and all things available to decorate your guardian angel. Soon you will have a new friend that looks out for you as you venture into the land of sleep and dream.

Read more: Best Online Therapy Platforms.

Conclusion:

Expressive art therapy is a way of achieving personal growth, self-discovery, and self-expression through the power of different forms of art. We hope these expressive art therapy activities will help you gain a better understanding of yourself.

Dancing is a potent form of expressive art therapy. It helps you fully express your positive and negative emotions. And the best part, it has several mental and physical health benefits. To learn more about them, click here.

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