This article was written by FlowArt Therapy's Alli Fisher, who specializes in art therapy with neurodivergent kids, teens, and young adults processing through trauma. Alli is currently welcoming new clients at our practice.

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Our very own art therapist at FlowArt, Alli, shares some of her favorite creative processing art directives for you to try at home! Check out her lovely art below!

Grounding Drip Paintings

This style of art therapy directive helps to ground the individual by focusing their visual sight and movement on a single thing, moving the paint across the canvas paper. 

For the second example, add a layer of water on the canvas paper first. Then, add a couple of drops of the watered down acrylic paint and move the canvas paper around to move the paint. Again, focus on watching the paint slide across the paper and merge with the other colors. Once you feel complete, grounded, and regulated, let it dry.

Materials: Acrylic paint watered down to a 1:1 ratio. Water. Paint brush. Canvas paper. 

Instructions: For the first example, put down various drops of the watered down acrylic paint on the canvas paper and move the paint around as desired. Focus on watching the drips slide and move across the paper. Once you feel complete, grounded, and regulated, let it dry.

Solution Focused Free Association Collage

This art therapy directive can be helpful for exploring ways to help cope with a situation and to transform current energy/feeling towards where they would like to be. 

Materials: Magazines, paper, scissors, and glue

Instructions: This art therapy directive asks the individual to think about and sit in the feeling they'd like to experience. As they sit and focus on that feeling, flip through a magazine and cut out images that stand out to them. Don't think about the image too much. If you notice yourself drawn to the image, cut it out and add it to the collage. Spend about 10 minutes cutting out and creating the piece. Then, take a look at the final image. Notice if you see any themes in the images that provide comfort, maybe these are things to help incorporate to help support or cope. 

Colored Feelings

This is a reflective art therapy directive to focus on what your experience of a feeling is as color/s.

Materials: Paper and really any colored art making tool

Instructions: Take a moment to sit and focus on the experience of what you are feeling. How does it feel in your body? What is showing up? Are there multiple experiences in your body? Does one stand out more? What would this look like if it were a color/s? How would these colors layer or move across the paper? Then transfer this imagery to paper, draw it. 

Bonus: Do a follow up for how you would like this color/s to look. What do you need to move one image to the next?

I can't wait to see what you create! Let us know at [email protected]

Alli Fisher, MA, LMHCA, ATR-P

Art Therapist, FlowArt Therapy

[email protected]

Focus on Young Folx with Trauma