Exercises in Art Therapy

 

Art is an amazing tool for therapeutic practices, and it can be used to help people feel better. Art is a form of expression, and art does not exist without emotion; this being said it is natural that art is used as therapy. We all have emotions that we need to get out sometimes, and I recommend using art as the tool to do so. This article will discuss an art therapy exercise that I often enjoy.

Watercolor paint is a great way to express your emotions because it is so vivid and alive itself. Watercolors blend and blur in ways that are very representative of emotions. For this project you will need watercolor paints, paint brushes, a cup of water, paper towels, and a calm place where you can relax. I also suggest that you have a cd player or a way of listening to music to help you get in the mood.

Put on some music and get comfortable. It is important to have music that helps you touch the emotions you are feeling. Do not try to hide or push away your emotions; embrace your emotions. Sometimes you need to feel emotions that you do not necessarily want to feel, and putting these emotions into art is a productive and positive way to use your negative emotions.

Now start by wetting your paper; wet the entire piece of paper because this will help the colors blend. Add water to the paints to get them ready to use, and pick a color that feels right. Now start by making a brushstroke on the paper, and watch how the colors move. Make some more brush strokes and shapes, and use other colors as well. Keep adding colors and different lines and patterns until the entire paper is colored. While you are adding these colors think about your emotions, and think about why you are upset. Put these feelings onto the paper through the use of the colors.

Now while the paper is still wet you are going to take away these vivid and intense colors. While doing this I want you to imagine letting go of these feelings. I want you to visualize washing these feelings away. Now use the paper towel to blot different areas of your picture. This will remove most of the colors. You can even add more water to the area of the paper that you want to remove more color from. Keep removing the colors until you feel relaxed and pleased with this piece.

The visualization techniques in this exercise are important to help you release your pent up emotions. This article will help you use art to feel better.

Quick Art Therapy Exercises for Beginners

 

Art therapy is a new practice that increases health and wellness; this natural medicine helps people identify their emotions, build confidence, and increase awareness. Art is a productive way to deal with trauma and emotions. Sometimes people may not feel confident about their artistic abilities, and this may lead them to avoid the benefits that art therapy can provide, but this article will give you three quick exercises that an help you break the ice with art therapy.

For the first exercise you will need a piece of paper and some crayons; this exercise is a good way to gain self awareness and perspective. Before you start this piece think about how you feel because this will be an energy drawing. Choose a color that is appropriate to how you feel, and scribble on the paper. Make any type of lines you want; they can be jagged, round, or broken. Feel your emotions and scribble; you can add more colors is you like. When you are done examine the picture and see how your feelings were portrayed in this piece. This exercise is a guide that can help you understand how you are feeling, and this understanding will allow you to move on or change your mood.

Another quick and fun art therapy project is the emotion wheel; this project will help you understand your emotions, and it will also help you recognize emotions in others. To stat this project you will need a piece of paper; you can cut it into a circle if you like, or you can draw a circle onto it with a plate or bowl. Now make several small circles around your original circle. These circles will be faces; so draw expressions on all of these faces. Remember to not make one face alike, and use details to express emotions. If you want you can write the name of the emotion under the face. This fun project can help you later identify feelings.

A self-confidence building exercise starts with your name. Simply draw your name in the middle of a piece of paper, and think about all of your positive traits. Now use images to symbolize these traits. If you are good at basketball, draw a bouncing ball; if you are a gardener, draw some flowers. Really let your imagination take over with this project. Remember to use your favorite colors when creating this name piece, and keep it hung close by to remind yourself of how wonderful you really are.

Art therapy has the ability to help many people; I hope these exercises can open you up to the idea of art therapy because it has wonderful benefits.

Stress Management Exercises for High School Students

 

High school is the time in a teenagers live that can be very stressful. They are hitting puberty, and they are growing into the adults they will one day be. High school aged children are faced with a lot of choices, and they are given responsibility, but they are still not completely responsible for themselves. This is the time when they will make a lot of life choices, and this can be very stressful. This is also the time where their bodies and interests are changing, and sex and relationships become a part of their lives. High school can be very stressful, and this article will discuss five stress management techniques for students.

A great way for students to deal with the societal pressures of the media and their classmates is through collage. Have students bring in magazines that are designed for their age group. Next have them cut out articles and pictures that they find to be negative or bothersome. Have students cut up these images and glue them together in an order that is more pleasing. Encourage the students to alter the images by cutting them, coloring over them with markers, and remind them to have a sense of humor with this project.

Another fun project that will help high school students to reduce stress is the balloon popping game. Have the students blow up several balloons and right on them the causes of there stress n marker. They can also draw pictures or right initials on the balloons if they want their privacy. Next have them bounce the balloons around for awhile. Next have them pop the balloons using a pin, their hands, or their feet.

Stress management for teenagers is very important, and stress usually comes from being unorganized and having a lot on your plate. In order to help students focus and prioritize in order to release stress have them right all of the things that are important to them on a sheet of paper. Next have the students highlight the least important items in a yellow marker, next have them highlight the medium important items with a blue marker, and highlight the most important things with a pink marker. This list can contain school obligations, familial obligations, and personal desires. Now have students focus on the pink ideas. Remind them that sometimes you need to look at everything in order to figure out what really matters, and encourage the kids to keep their list and cross off items as they are completed. This will give them a feeling of accomplishment.

Stress is something that comes from responsibilities, and it is important to allow yourself to relax and have fun when you are feeling overwhelmed. Teenagers need this time especially because they are new to the stresses of being older. So in order to manage stress schedule at least one hour a day to just enjoying life. Make sure at least one hour a day is for fun and hobbies such as art music, and sports. These activities will increase happiness, and allow stress to be released through productivity.

Another way for students to manage stress is through breathing. Every teenager should take a few minutes each day to sit and relax. Sitting outside or by a window is good because it brings you closer to nature, but anywhere is fine. This method is especially important when a high school student is feeling overwhelmed. It is important to step away and breathe in order to regain focus or solve problems. Every student should take time to breathe, and pay attention to their breathing in order to relax and manage stress.

High school is a time when stress is prevalent for children; they are surrounded with influences, and they expected to make many important choices at this time in their lives, and it is important to practice these stress management techniques in order to be healthy and happy.