Introduction

Art therapy for mindfulness combines art therapy with the ‘art’ of mindfulness - a creative way to manage and improve the quality of life and well-being.¹ 

Definition of Art Therapy

Art therapy uses art as a way of expressing yourself, like thinking in terms of emojis - “you use a sad emoji to express sadness”, “happy emoji to express happiness” etc. Art therapy is a method of expressing and articulating complex thoughts and feelings through art - try finding an emoji to express loneliness, fear of losing a job, feelings of grief etc. 

Through art, you may find it easier to talk about a certain topic that you were unable to articulate, as the emotions may be too distressing or you are finding it difficult to communicate across into words. Using art, you may be able to ‘show’ how you feel, making it easier to talk to a therapist, and promoting insight, self-compassion and self-worth. Thus, reducing distress and improving your overall mental, social and physical wellbeing.⁴ 

It is worth noting that the title of an art therapist is protected by law, meaning that all UK art therapists must be registered with the Health and Care Professions Councils (HPCP). The HCPC is a statutory regulator which sets and maintains standards for those who are professionals for the protection of the public. Thus, when you seek an art therapist, please ensure that the therapist is registered by the HCPC.  

Overview of mindfulness

Mindfulness is paying attention to the present moment, and having a moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings and bodily sensations of our surroundings. Mindfulness is about noticing the world around us;  it is easy to lose touch with how our bodies, thoughts and feelings are in the present moment because we are “living in our own heads” or “so wrapped up in our own thoughts”. As a result, we may not notice how our thoughts drive our emotions and behaviours, which may lead to rumination.³ 

Reconnecting with our bodies and surroundings means focusing on the five senses (the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and touches), which can allow us to be more self-aware of our thoughts and feelings. 

Being mindful of our thoughts means paying attention to our thoughts and feelings without judgement- accepting your thoughts without thinking what's ‘wrong’ and what's ‘right’. Being aware of your surroundings and yourself internally can improve your mental well-being.² 

The connection between art Therapy and mindfulness

Art therapy is a great way to practise mindfulness as it encourages you to focus on the present moment while expressing yourself creatively. Mindfulness-based art therapy (MBAT) involves combining art therapy with mindfulness where you can reconnect and explore yourself (internally and externally) in a safe and non-judgmental space. MBAT involves following guided meditations and mindfulness teachings while using art to explore your experiences in a non-judgemental and supporting environment 

Essentially, MBAT means being in touch with your inner self and your surroundings to be able to express yourself through art. MBAT can reduce stress and anxiety, while improving mood and self-esteem, in turn, MBAT can enhance your relationships, fostering deeper insights and compassion for yourself and others. 

Mindfulness-based art (MBAT) therapy vs. art therapy for mindfulness 

While art therapy and Mindful-based art therapy sound similar, they differ in their approach and focus. For example, art therapy uses the creative process of making art to improve your physical, mental and emotional well-being. Art therapy is often based on psychotherapy foundations and can be done in both individual and group settings. So traditional art therapy may focus on the psychological interpretation of your artwork. 

Conversely, MBAT integrates mindfulness practices such as meditation with art-making in a therapeutic setting. MBAT emphasises creating a safe and supportive environment to engage in creating art using mindfulness. 

Benefits for MBAT

There are numerous benefits for MBAT, in fact, art therapy or MBAT can help with various physical, mental and social issues you may be experiencing. For example, MBAT has been shown to improve:

• Anxiety disorders
• Depression
• Psychosis and schizophrenia 
• Trauma⁸ 
• Dealing with Cancer⁵
• Accepting your (queer⁶ and/or cultural) identity⁷ 
• Anger management¹⁰
• Addiction recovery 
• Improving quality of life
• Improving focus via positively impacting your neural system

Art techniques

A common worry about starting art therapy/MBAT may be ‘What if I am not good at art?’

You don’t have to be good at art to participate in these therapies, nor do you need to have any experience or expertise in art. Art therapy/MBAT is about exploring yourself and your surroundings, and is not an art lesson where you will be marked or graded on how well you ‘do’ art. 

A good art therapist should be willing and open to creative expression regardless of your skills. Art therapists are not there to judge your artwork, but instead, they are there to help you explore the emotional aspects of your worry/ concerns through artwork. So, if you draw stick figures to express your emotion, then congratulations, you participated in art therapy to express and explore yourself! 

Another worry may be that you don’t particularly enjoy drawing- art can be completed through various media/ styles/ preferences! So if you’re not fond of drawing, you may be interested in other ways to use art to express yourself, some examples may include: 

• Graphite or pen
• Painting 
• Collage making 
• Wood carving/ wood art 
• Photography 
• Markers 
• Clay/ sculpting 
• Paper mache
• Mixed media 
• Origami 
• Colouring in 
• Embroidery 

An art therapist may introduce you to different types of media that you can use, you can also suggest the medium you prefer to use too. It should be noted that while you can choose your media, a therapist may discourage an individual from a certain type of media. For example, a therapist may recommend that you draw, as you may be very familiar with using pens/pencils so you won’t need instructions or become frustrated. However, people may associate drawing with the preconceived ideas of ‘being an artist’, especially if that is something you are seeking help with (i.e., struggling with perfectionism), then a therapist may suggest something else. In this case, perhaps mindfully colouring in colouring books designed for adults/ those with intricate patterns/ mandalas/ colouring by numbers. 

How do I engage in MBAT?

To participate in MBAT or art therapy, you must have an accredited art therapist who is registered by the HPCP. To access an art therapist, your GP may refer you to your NHS community mental health team, or you can access an art therapist privately. 

While MBAT is usually done in practice by a trained professional, you may be able to partake in art, mindfully. 

Doing art mindfully

Expression 

• Choose how you would like to express yourself, this could be any art technique mentioned above (or another medium). Pick a medium/media which you would like to try or engage in, which media do you enjoy and connect with?

Preparation 

• Set up where you would like to partake in the activity, this could be on your table or your floor. Perhaps you can prepare by setting down old newspapers before painting or engaging in media that may be messy for easy clean up/less stressful cleaning. Perhaps you can close your door so that you won’t be disturbed; collect your colouring pencils; buy a colouring book or print out a colouring page; collect your art supplies, etc.  

Beginning with a mindful practice 

• Once you have chosen your method of expression and prepared to partake in doing art mindfully, perhaps you can get into a more mindful state- setting your intention(s) to participate in art. 
• To get into a more mindful state, you can practise some mindful breathing (you can get many resources online - i.e., YouTube)
• You can take a few minutes to complete a body scan 
• You can partake in Yoga 

Engaging in your art, mindfully 

• As you start your artwork, incorporate some of your mindfulness, notice the present moment, and pay close attention to your sensations.
  • For example, how does your pencil/pen/graphite/crayon (etc) feel in your hand; what textures do you feel; what colours are you reaching towards; what can you hear; what can you smell, how do you feel, etc. 
  • You may notice your mind wandering, which is completely fine, mindfulness is a skill that you have to practise, keep going and don’t get frustrated with yourself, simply acknowledge that your mind is wandering and bring your awareness back to the present moment. 

Embracing your imperfection(s) 

• It's okay if you make mistakes (i.e., you spilt some paint on your canvas), you can incorporate it into your art (i.e., splash more paint or paint over it)
• If you colour ‘wrong’ i.e., you used a different colour from the guide, keep going 
• Remember that ‘perfecting’ your art isn't the goal, but to create your art mindfully is what you are aiming to reach
• If your mind wanders, bring it back to the present moment, acknowledge your thoughts and bring it back to your artwork. Try not to get frustrated with yourself 

Reflection 

• Once you have completed your activity, reflect upon how you felt before, during and after you’re done, notice what you felt, where your mind wandered and what you learnt about yourself. 

Practice, practice, practice 

• Both art and mindfulness are skills and like all skills, you will not perfect both at once in one or two or even three sessions. Consistency is key!

Summary 

Art therapy is a way to express yourself with an HCPC-accredited art therapist; mindfulness is the ability to be present in the moment, paying close attention to external factors (your environment) as well as paying attention to internal factors (i.e., your thoughts and feelings). 

Art therapy is a great way to practise mindfulness as it encourages you to focus on the present moment while expressing yourself creatively. MBAT integrates mindfulness practices such as meditation with art-making in a therapeutic setting to help with various physical, mental and social issues. Art therapy/MBAT does not just involve drawing, there are various media that you can explore with your therapist. While you can choose the type of media you want to use, a therapist may suggest the best option for you. 

While you should seek a professionally accredited therapist to help you if you are facing difficulties, you may be able to do art mindfully yourself. Doing art mindfully may involve choosing how you would like to express yourself, preparation, practising mindfulness, engaging in your art mindfully, embracing your imperfection(s), reflecting on your experience and lots of practice! Like any skill, expressing yourself and being attuned to your feelings takes time and patience, it is a great skill to master.