10 Useful Art Therapy Exercises to Help Improve your Mood

I am happy to be sharing these art therapy exercises to help improve your mood and help you feel lighter and less anxious. I learned these exercises through a lot of reading and research while working on a project related to Art Therapy.

The exercises on this list are pretty simple ones that I picked up from different resources (mainly Essential Art Therapy Exercises by Leah Guzman). I tried them for myself and really found them helpful and doable. 

Please note that I am by no means a professional. If you are willing to dive deeper into the subject and learn more about art therapy, please do your research and consider reaching out to a credentialed art therapist for that.

I made a very helpful digital 30-page journal/workbook with prompts that you can get here for only $5.

10 Art exercises to help improve your mood

1. Feeling identification
2. Breathing through lines
3. Favorite song drawing
4. What’s your name?
5. Gratitude Check-In
6. Mindful Sketch
7. Emotional landscape
8. My Safe Place
9. Building boundaries, not walls
10. I am Collage

What is Art Therapy?

You must’ve heard of Art Therapy before, it is an approach that uses art and psychology to treat emotional and behavioral disorders. The process of making art can help you express your emotions and heal what’s causing you depression, anxiety, or PTSD (Leah Guzman, ATR-BC, Essential Art Therapy Exercises).

To speak from more of a personal perspective, Art has been an outlet for me during turbulent times, and it has been my first defense when dealing with life’s challenges. I found myself in a very complex relationship with painting whenever my mental health was acting up. Painting was my way to connect body, mind, and soul in one creative act. Through art, I was able to visualize what was going on in my mind and learn new ways to change my thinking patterns, which led me to many new perspectives in life.

Generally speaking, you don’t need an artistic disposition to practice art therapy exercises, anyone open to learning techniques that foster self-awareness can gain a lot from the experience of doing these art exercises or art therapy exercises.

Why Art Therapy Exercises?

Art is a visual documentation of our thoughts and feelings and these mental images we come up with can offer professionals a roadmap to suggest and find solutions to our problems. But for us as individuals, taking time to sit with our thoughts and work on the body, and mind connection offers a great space for self-regulation. It becomes easier to manage feelings as they arise by choosing a constructive way (art) instead of a destructive one that often leads to regret (drugs, self-harm…).

Another reason to turn to Art Therapy exercises is that: As cognitive skills improve, problem-solving skills also improve. The creative process enhances decision-making. Throughout the art-making process, you have many opportunities to make decisions when you choose colors, details, and layout.

Physical Benefits of Art Therapy exercises

Stress manifests itself in our physical body as headaches, backaches, tight muscles, shoulder pain, nervous stomach, fatigue, high blood pressure, overeating, or insomnia. 

According to a 2016 study by Girija Kaimal, art was shown to have a positive effect on participants’ stress levels. In this study, participants had their stress hormone cortisol measured before they made any art. They then had their cortisol levels measured again after a 45-minute session of creating art. A comparison of results showed that 75 percent of the participants had decreased cortisol levels after the art session. The most interesting part of this study is that the participants didn’t have any background or experience in creating art.

With this intro being a little too long (sorry not sorry), it’s time to move to these art exercises to help you improve your mood.

10 Art exercises to help improve your mood

I- Feeling Identification

It will take you 10 minutes to complete this exercise. It’s an easy start, to help you identify and express your feelings (before we move to improve our feelings, we shall always be able to identify them first). 

To do this exercise, you will need: 

• paint crayons or markers (whichever you prefer) 
• 1 sheet of paper 

Steps to do this art therapy exercise: 

1- Choose a color that reflects how you’re feeling today.

2- Draw a circle with that color.

3- In that circle, use lines and shapes to draw an image or images to identify how you’re feeling today.

4- Name your art.

If you aren’t able to exactly identify your feeling by the end of this exercise, the emotions wheel shall help you do a better job. (make sure you only check the emotions wheel after you’re done with the exercise mentioned above).

II- Breathing through lines

Another quick 10 minutes exercise, created to help you raise awareness of your breathing and assist in relaxation.

You will need: 

• Paintbrush
• Watercolors
• 1 Sheet of thicker paint paper
• Cup of water

Steps to do this art therapy exercise:  

1- Wet your paintbrush and choose a color to add.

2- Take a deep breath through your nose. Hold your breath while you place your brush in the upper-left corner of the paper. As you exhale slowly, draw a wavy line.

3- Choose either the same color or a different color (don’t forget to rinse your brush if it’s a different color) and add it to your paintbrush. Take a deep breath in as you place your brush on the paper. This time, as you exhale, make a large circle with one breath.

4- Choose a color, but this time take short breaths in and out. With each exhale, make quick marks or ticks on the paper.

5- Pick a final color and breathe in deeply. Choose your own mark or symbol to add as you exhale.

III- Favorite Song Drawing 

I know the most consumed form of art is music, and many people connect to it and feel it affecting their mood either in a boosting or depressing mode. 

This exercise is as quick as 5 minutes (most songs are like 3 minutes long, so yeah). Doing this exercise will help you connect your feelings to your senses (the act of drawing).

You will need: 

• Your favorite song is ready to be played aloud.
• Colored pencils or markers.
• 1 Sheet of paper.

Steps to do this art therapy exercise: 

1- Play your favorite song.

2- Use lines and color to express the melody you feel.

IV- What’s your name?

A 10 minutes exercise to foster expression and increase self-esteem.

You will need:

• Markers.
• 1 Sheet of paper.

Steps to do this art therapy exercise: 

 1- Using big block letters, write your name in any color on your paper from left to right.

2- Think of a positive word that has the same first letter as your name. Add this word to your drawing in any location on the paper.

3- Pick your favorite colors and create a design inside the letters of your name.

V- Gratitude Check-In

Art is not only drawing or painting, writing is an art as well and it’s very therapeutic. This exercise increases positive effects on the nervous system although it’s a short 5 minutes one.

You will need: 

• Journal.
• Pen.

Steps to do this art therapy exercise: 

In your journal, list five things that happened today for which you are grateful. I highly recommend you do this exercise daily, and take it as a habit, either when you wake up or going to bed. 

VI- Mindful Sketch

An easy no-brainer 10 minutes exercise to increase your mindfulness and help you focus on the moment. 

You will need: 

• Pencil
• 1 Sheet of paper 

Steps to do this art therapy exercise: 

Choose an object near you (such as a mug, plant, or book) and sketch out its shape. Then add as many details as you like.

If you are willing to invest more time into the process of using art as therapy, these next art therapy exercises are for you:

VII- Emotional landscape

A 45 minutes exercise. This is a great opportunity to explore your feelings in a visual symbolic way and gain mastery over your emotions. Can you translate your current emotions into a scene? 

This landscape should have a background, middle ground, and foreground (it could be hills, mountains, seas, desert, or a lush garden! Be creative with your visualization).  

You will need: 

• 1 Sheet of heavy-weight drawing paper.
• Pencil
• Paintbrush
• Watercolors
• Cup of water

Steps to do this art therapy exercise: 

1- Sit for five minutes and evaluate your current state of mind. Consider what feelings and emotions are with you at this moment. Think of a landscape that would visually represent your current mood. Feel free to find images in books or on the Internet to inspire you.

2- On the paper, use a pencil to sketch the landscape you’ve visualized.

3- With a paintbrush, use the watercolors to add blocks of color to your landscape. You can choose to dip your paintbrush in the water to change colors, or to make a particular color lighter or darker.

4- Give your artwork a title.

Questions for Discussion:

• Does your painting speak to the emotions you’re feeling at this moment?
• How long have you been feeling this way?
• If you could shrink in size and jump into your painting, where would you land in the image?
• Is there a message in your painting?

VIII- My Safe Place

A 50-minutes exercise to relieve anxiety. Creating a safe place on paper can assist you in relieving anxiety when you experience a trigger. A trigger is a noise, smell, or sight that makes you feel panicked because it’s associated with a negative experience. Triggers are different for everyone. 

The purpose of creating a safe place is to allow you to relax and bring feelings of security to mind. If your trauma was too intense and you find it difficult to think of an image of a safe place, try using a metaphor. Examples include a sunset, a beach scene, or a clubhouse.

You will need: 

• 1 Sheet of heavy-weight paper.
• Markers.
• Colored pencils.
• Oil pastels. 

Steps to do this art therapy exercise: 

1- Think of a place where you feel most comfortable (outside, inside, or in a fantasy world). For example, the beach may bring you a sense of calm. Or, maybe it’s your bedroom. Or, a magical castle.

2- On your paper, use markers, colored pencils, or oil pastels to create this space. Be sure to add details and colors that make you feel at ease.

Questions for Discussion:

• Are there associations that make you feel uncomfortable?
• Are there places, smells, or people that create positive thoughts and feelings of safety? Identify a few.
• Knowing what your triggers are, allows you to prepare yourself for coping with the situation. What other tools, such as talking to a friend, writing in your journal, or meditation, can help you cope?

IX- Building boundaries, not walls

30 minutes will be enough to do this exercise which will help you develop coping skills and regulate your emotions. Sometimes it’s difficult to know when to express your emotions to others, but you can learn to meet your needs without overwhelming your family, coworkers, or friends. Having healthy boundaries means knowing where your limits are. For example, you might not want to divulge your personal life to a coworker or a new friend. It’s important to step back and look at your needs in every relationship.

You will need:

• Markers
• 1 Sheet of paper
• Assorted printed paper (newspaper, wrapping paper…)
• Scissors and Glue. 

Steps to do this art therapy exercise: 

1- Take 30 minutes to identify the limits on where you feel comfortable with the people in your life on physical, emotional, and spiritual levels.  

2- Give yourself permission to say no.  

3- With the markers, draw yourself in the middle of the paper. 

4- Glue the assorted papers around your portrait to create a healthy boundary wall.  

5- Identify one person you need to establish boundaries for, and draw them outside your healthy boundaries wall. 

Questions for Discussion: 

• Do you have any walls between you and your friends, coworkers, romantic partners, or children? Are there any walls that prevent you from nurturing yourself? 
• How big are your walls? Are your walls so high that no one can get in?  
• How can you create healthy boundaries in order to express your feelings? Is there anything in your life that you would like to say “no” to?

X- I am Collage

I highly recommend this 1-hour exercise, it increases self-esteem and coping skills, and immediately elevates your mood. Identifying all your strengths and unique qualities is incredibly empowering. This collage gives you an opportunity to tap into your greatness and realize the unique things that make you one of a kind. 

You will need:

• Pen
• 1 Sheet of heavy-weight paper
• Magazines/prints/photos
• Scissors and glue

Steps to do this art therapy exercise: 

1- Write I AM in the center of the paper.

2- Look in the magazines for words that represent all your positive attributes. Cut them out.

3- Glue the words onto the paper radiating out from the words I AM.

4- Keep this image where you will see it often to increase your self-esteem.

Questions for Discussion:

• How does it feel to have all these strengths?
• How can you use these attributes in different areas of your life?

You might like checking these blog posts as well:

5 Art Exercises to Boost Your Creativity (even if you’re non-artistic)

Best Books I behoove you to Read as an Artist

Conclusion

These exercises are guaranteed to elevate your mood and cheer you up, let me know if you try any of them. And if you are interested in reading the book Essential Art Therapy Exercises by Leah Guzman, leave me your email, as well as your preferred format (pdf or epub), and I will send it to you.