Exploring Every Day Art Therapy

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• Introduction to art therapy: history and principles.
• Why creativity bypasses words to reach emotions.
• Neuroscience of drawing and self-expression.
   

Exercises:

1. “Draw Your Mood” – audience sketches a simple shape or abstract line to represent how they feel right now.
2. “Name That Line” – draw five quick lines or shapes, then label each with an emotion (anger, calm, joy, etc.).
    

• How drawing lowers stress and quiets the nervous system
• The difference between mindful doodling and artistic pressure. 
• Case studies of stress reduction through art.
   

Exercises:

1. “Breath Doodles” – draw slowly while inhaling and exhaling, letting the breath guide line length and rhythm.
2. “Tangle Release” – scribble a chaotic knot, then slowly transform it into a calmer image by adding patterns or shading.
    

• Using art to explore personal narratives. 
• How symbols, shapes, and metaphors express what words cannot. 
• The therapist’s role in guiding reflection.
   

Exercises:

1. “Life Map” – draw a simple path across the page and place symbolic images or shapes along it to mark life events. 
2. “Before & After” – split the page in two, draw a current challenge on one side and a hoped-for resolution on the other.
    

• Why playful drawing reconnects us to joy and imagination.
• Childhood creativity vs. adult self-criticism (“I can’t draw”). 
• Healing through rediscovering play.
   

Exercises:

1. “Non-Dominant Hand Drawing” – use the non-dominant hand to draw anything, focusing on play not skill. 
2. “Silly Creature” – invent a playful imaginary animal by combining random features (cat ears + fish tail + bird wings).
    

• Drawing as a mirror of thoughts and identity. 
• Symbolism in colour, shape, and form.
• How art therapy deepens self-awareness.
   

Exercises:

1. “Draw Your Safe Place” – sketch a simple abstract or symbolic place where you feel calm. 
2. “Self-Portrait in Symbols” – instead of a face, fill the page with shapes or images that represent your personality.
    

• How drawing builds bridges when words fail.
• Using shared creative exercises in groups or therapy. 
• The power of non-verbal expression in healing relationships.
   

Exercises:

1. “Shared Doodle” – each person starts a doodle, then swaps with a neighbour to add something new.
2. “Emotion Exchange” – draw an emotion without naming it, then swap papers with someone else and guess the feeling.
    

• Making art a regular tool for wellbeing.
• Integrating daily doodling and sketching as mindfulness practice. 
• Closing reflections: art as a way to nurture resilience.
   

Exercises:

1. “Gratitude Sketch” – draw three small symbols representing things you’re grateful for. 
2. “Future Vision” – sketch one image or symbol that represents a personal hope for the future.