Welcome to art therapy! This page is a collection of all the art therapy projects My Monster has come across. Some are from my therapists, (shared with permission) others from books and online, and a few are my own ideas. Please feel free to use these and share them with others!

If you have any ideas or projects that you would like to share, please contact My Monster.

What Is Art Therapy?

Since art therapy is relatively new, not many are familiar with it. Here are some terrific resources that explain what art therapy is.

• What Is Art Therapy? via About
• What Is Art Therapy via American Art Therapy Association
• What Is Art Therapy? via Art Therapy Blog
• What Is Art Therapy? via Elizabeth Beck
• What Is Art Therapy? via International Art Therapy Organization
• Art therapy via WikiPedia

Art Therapy Projects

General Projects

• Get Creative With Collages via Art Therapy Blog
• Knitting (Art Therapy) via Elizabeth Beck
• Make something, anything, without direction or the end result in mind. Grab some materials and paper and let anything flow out.
• Positive Pockets via Creative Therapy Sessions. Create a personal box of inspirational statements.
• Project Positivity via Deviant Art – Write out or create a piece of art that incorporates 10 things that you like about yourself. See My Monster’s Project Positivity.
• Sewing Dolls and Pillows via Elizabeth Beck

Projects for Reaching Goals and Solving Problems

• Panic Book – Create small pictures or cards of things, places and people that help you to be calm, or that bring your mind into them and away from panic and anxious thoughts. Document your favorite things so that you can look at the images in times of stress to help bring you into the ‘now’. See My Monster’s Panic Book.
• The Problem – Draw a picture that represents any current problem that you are having. Try to do this without thinking about it too much, just letting the process take over. Once done look at the drawing to see if it reveals anything new about the issue. It might help to set it aside and look at it the next day.
• Tarot Personality Cards – Create visual representations of the ‘voices in your head,’ otherwise known as alters and/or personality fragments. Create one representation on each card. I suggest using collage art because it is easy to cut out symbols and pictures that remind you of each alter, and put them together.
• Vision Board – This project can be an invaluable tool to helping you meet goals by making them visually tangible. Create a piece of art, or series of art pieces, that represents your goal or desired end result.
  • How to Make a Vision Board via wikiHow
  • How to Create a Vision Board: 6 Steps to Visualize Your Ideal Life via Happy Black Woman
  • Use a Vision Board to Activate the Law of Attraction via SelfGrowth

Activity Lists

• 10 Art Therapy Techniques via Huffington Post
• 100 Excellent Art Therapy Exercises via Expressive Art Inspirations
• Art therapy activities and ideas via Art Therapy Blog
• Art Therapy Ideas via Art Therapy Journal
• Art Therapy Ideas Pinterest board via Meredith Krugel
• Self-Expression Therapy Activities via Expressive Art Inspirations

Art Therapy Online

Art Therapy Blogs

• Arts and Healing Podcast – Interviews with art therapist and similar professionals
• Art Therapy Blog – Explores expressive arts as a catalyst for healing and therapy. “Inspiring Others To Create”
• Art Therapy Artwork via Crackers & Juiceboxes
• Art Therapy Artwork via Elizabeth Beck
• Survivor Art via The Art Journey of Grace

Art Therapy Websites

• American Art Therapy Association – Encouraging the highest quality of Art Therapy services to the public
• American Dance Therapy Association (ADTA)
• American Music Therapy Association (AMTA)
• Arts and Healing Network – Created for anyone interested in the healing potential of art
• The Awakenings Project – Assists artists with psychiatric illnesses in developing their craft
• Live Your Creative Vision – Creative growth and healing

Art Therapy Products

Now, I am not a representative for any of these companies or trying to get you to buy anything. These are just cool products that I have come across that relate to art therapy:

• Buddha Board – Writes temporarily with water, inspired by the Zen idea of living in the moment
• Graffiti Research Lab – Outfits graffiti artists with open source technologies