May 19, 2018
May is Mental Health Awareness Month
Today’s #StressFreeSaturday challenge is about hobbies.
Hobbies allow us to relax and sort of “zone out” while doing something we find enjoyable. Hobbies can be physical like golf, gardening, or dancing, or they can be activities like writing, making music, crafting or cosplaying that provide an opportunity to flex our creative muscles. In addition to being great stress relievers, research shows that hobbies can have positive effects on overall wellbeing and activities like drawing, painting, and molding clay have been scientifically proven to help people who have been exposed to trauma. (From Mental Health America Website)
Share your favorite hobby. Or if you don’t have one, yet, what would you like to try?
October 8, 2017
Creative Therapy
Making art encourages self expression, assists in developing awareness of thoughts and feelings, while at the same time fostering self-discovery in a way that is different from traditional talk therapy.
While I’m not an art therapist, many of my clients have doodled, drawn, and collaged their way through some very difficult times. The American Art Therapy Association says that through the creative process people can increase their awareness of themselves and others, cope with symptoms of illness, stress, and traumatic symptoms because the creative process is a springboard for expression.
You may be reading this and think, yeah, but I don’t have a creative bone in my body. Of course you do, we all do. You don’t need to be a talented, world class artist, you just need to be able to let your hands and mind be free of self limiting thoughts when you sit down to draw, sculpt, play music, write, work with yarn, reeds, or magazine clippings.
I really like this book by Mindy Jacobson-Levy and Maureen Foy-Tormay: Finding Your Voice through Creativity. While the authors target it toward those struggling with negative body image and eating disorders, I think anyone can really use the concepts. It’s a very simple straight forward way to get started. I hope you’ll check it out and maybe dabble in some creative therapy!
Be Well and Have A Wonderful Day!
Kelly F. Dennis MS LPC 