Expressive Arts for Wellbeing

Creativity without the pressure to be good at it.

Watercolor, collage, mandala, and visual journaling for people who think they are not artists. Leave the pressure to "make good art" at the door, and come to discover the joy of creating and expressing yourself.  You make something, notice what shows up on the page, and leave having enjoyed yourself.

You don't have to be an artist

Most of us stopped making art somewhere around fourth grade, usually the day someone said our drawing didn't look right. Since then, "I'm not creative" has felt like a fact.

This program starts from the opposite place. There is no right way to do it and nothing to get good at. Many of the people who get the most out of these sessions are the ones who walked in saying they couldn't draw a straight line.

It is especially good for:

• Anyone who says they are not creative
• Senior centers and independent living communities
• Women's groups and caregiver groups
• Studios, retreats, and workplaces looking for something different from a lecture

Why it matters

It gives shape to things that are hard to say. Some feelings don't come out easily in words. A color, a torn piece of paper, or a shape on the page can say what a conversation can't. What ends up there often tells you something about what is going on inside.

It is a way to connect. Making something side by side, then talking about it if you want to, opens conversations that small talk never reaches.

It is enjoyable. There is real pleasure in getting absorbed in color and texture with no goal except seeing what happens.

The research backs it up. In the national Creativity and Aging Study, led by Dr. Gene Cohen, adults over 65 who joined a weekly, professionally led arts program for a year reported better health, fewer doctor visits, less medication use, and less loneliness than a comparison group.