Art as Therapy: 10+ Activities and 4 Ready-To-Use Art Lessons

Course description

The practice of art has a lot of positive effects on our physical and mental health, can help in dealing with stress, improves self-awareness and self-expression, increases focus and attention, and facilitates collaboration with others.

Art can promote inclusion in multicultural contexts and among people with different special needs. In an environment overwhelmed by too many inputs, expectations, demands, and rules, the practice of art provides a space of connection with oneself, freedom, respect, and empathy.

This course is designed for teachers or professionals with or without any art experience that want to explore the healing power of art to increase their own well-being and apply the proposed activities to their students or target.

The course does not provide knowledge or habilitation about the use of art in a psychotherapeutic context, but the activities proposed can be used also by psychologists, counselors, pedagogists, and coaches to enrich and complement their work.

By the end of the course, you will have acquired a variety of practices to explore art in school and in our life that can be incorporated into lessons, outdoor programs, and online lessons.

Course structure

The first part includes a theoretical presentation about the positive aspects of art-making activities, and more than ten activities to improve self-awareness, increase focus, reduce stress, and facilitate collaboration with others

The second part of the course includes four ready-to-use lessons inspired by Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, Claude Monet, and Joan Miró, that are designed to be used directly with your students/colleagues/clients.

To acquire enough confidence before you deliver one of these activities to others I highly recommend you take them as first person, also using the workbook I created for you to make your practice more consistent.

Module 1: Art therapy and Art as therapy

In this module, you will get knowledge about the difference between “Art therapy” (art as a tool for psychotherapy) and “Art as Therapy” (art as a tool for inclusion, self-expression, and wellbeing, which we will consider during our course). Also, you will learn about the positive effects of art-making activities on mental and physical health.

Art makes you aware – let’s practice

Art is a great tool to acquire self-awareness. Let’s put knowledge into practice and make art! During this module, you will explore different activities, increase awareness of your body, your emotions, and your mind. All these activities can be reused with your clients, students, and colleagues.

Art makes you free from stress

Numerous studies have confirmed that art releases tension and produces relaxing effects. If you focus your attention on performing an art exercise, you will notice how your mind disconnects and forgets any concern. In this module, you use doodling, watercolors, meditations and mandalas, and Zentangle to prevent and deal with stress.

Art makes you focused

Let’s focus our energy! In this module you will practice several activities to train your attention and concentration, drawing upside down, drawing fast, or drawing as a Cubist!

Module 2: Art brings us together

This module is dedicated to activities that you can use to facilitate communication, collaboration, and inclusion in your classes! Installations, outdoor Mandalas, and the proposed activities inspired by Salvador Dalí are all great experiences for all, regardless of skills, experience, origin, or special need

Create Art with Matisse

Create art with the great Henri Matisse, let your creativity fly, and make a work using the artist’s main techniques and colors. During the lesson, you will be proposed several exercises, to be completed using his main tools, the cutouts, for a resulting expressive set of collage works!

Paint like Picasso

Picasso is the undisputed protagonist of Cubism! Let’s get familiar with the essence of cubist composition and practice many ways to create a Cubist work! During the lesson, you will be offered a few inspiring challenges to create a set of cubist paintings!

A trip through nature with Monet

Capture Monet’s natural atmosphere by doing an activity in which impressionism will be the protagonist and have to look around to capture it as a reflection. During the lesson, let yourself go and convey your feelings, coping from his main artworks enriched by water lilies and natural scenes!

Miró’s Surrealism

Joan Miró was characterized by the numerous symbols that he reflects in his work, together with his brilliant colors and many influences. During this lesson you will discover them and learn how to use them, giving voice also to your creative intuition!