“Why should I make art? How is this even helping me?” In my 25+ years as a Board Certified Art Therapist I have heard this a million times. And so, I present - 5 Ways Art Therapy Improves Your Life 1. Making art stimulates your brain in new ways. 2. Making art gives you temporary distraction from the stressful $h*t in your life. 3. Making art provides you with a different language to explore your inner most feeling, fears and fantasies. 4. Making art helps you tolerate feelings of frustration and disappointment when the project is not looking the way you intended. 5. Making art can boost your self esteem when the project is looking the way you intended. Along these lines, I am finalizing a very exciting new project that I will be announcing soon. The picture is a clue! 🧐 STAY TUNED! . . . #arttherapy #art #psychology #selfimprovement #selfhelp #anxiety #depression #stress #therapy #artsupplies #crayola #mentalhealth #color

via Instagram https://ift.tt/2MOJ6ks

Our first ride as a team, 40 miles, although we are missing the rest of our crew. Can you figure out what is wrong with this picture?

via Instagram https://ift.tt/2phzwxf

A mural that I painted in 2007 at my children’s elementary school. 6 feet high by 60 feet long. Fun to see it after all these years. #mural #arttherapy #alltheseyears #paintingwithkids #calabasas #elementaryschool #community

via Instagram https://ift.tt/2CNeq32

Picasso Self Portraits To encourages us to look at our life situations from more than one angle - our healthy side and our unhealthy side. #arttherapy #Picasso #cubism #oilpastels #Sharpie #healthyself #unhealthy #addiction #anxiety #depression #perspective #change #newme #drawing #portrait #selfportrait #balance #art #Pentel

via Instagram https://ift.tt/2Pyqgj8

Just for this holiday weekend, try telling yourself “I AM WILLING TO LET GO I release others to experience whatever is meaningful to them, and I am free to create that which is meaningful to me” Who are you thinking about? Who comes to mind? And how does this change your attitude? #arttherapy #attitude #painting #release #meaningful #holidayweekend #labordayweekend #breathe #letgo #watercolorpainting

via Instagram https://ift.tt/2PuNhDw

This exercise is based on a Native American folktale: The Fight of Two Wolves Within You An old Cherokee is teaching his grandson about life: “A fight is going on inside me,” he said to the boy. ”It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One wolf is evil–he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.” He continued, “The other Wolf is good – he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going on inside you–and inside every other person, too.” The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: “Which wolf will win?” The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed.” They were encouraged to be creative and make their own painting based on this folktale. This gives an opportunity to learn to tolerate frustration without giving up, and to push through and finish what they started. The painting process also provides time to think about the folktale and decide which wolf they will feed. #twowolves #AA #arttherapy #anxiety #dontgiveup #NativeAmerican

via Instagram https://ift.tt/2PDbKHT

#3D exhibit @LACMA #MuseTilMidnight #ArtTherapy #1950s

via Instagram https://ift.tt/2LxgE64