Encourage & Stimulate Exploration

“In a messed up world, creativity is our badass remedy, stitching our wounds and offering an escape route. It's not just art; it's a rebellion that saves lives and kicks the soul into healing.” ― Jenaitre Farquharson The art therapy practitioner may utilize a variety of prompts, encouragement, and feedback to assist the individual in exploring their thoughts and emotions through the art-making process.

Prompts

Prompts are recommendations or ideas given to the client to encourage their creative process and allow them to explore their thoughts and emotions via art. Prompts can be open-ended or particular, depending on the client's current worries or issues, or broader topics like self-exploration, emotional expression, or personal improvement. These prompts are intended to help the client focus their attention and explore their thoughts and emotions through the creative process. They are not intended to prescribe a specific outcome or to specify how the finished artwork should look.These are some instances of prompts:

• Create a visual representation of how you are feeling right now.

• Use color to convey what is happening inside of you.

• Make a collage to tell a tale about your life.

• Create a mark on the paper and see where it takes you.

• Try out different brushstrokes and see how they make you feel.

• Create an image of your ideal location.

Color

Color selection may be more intuitive for some people, but others employ color psychology to guide their work. The art therapist may employ color psychology to assist the client in understanding and processing their feelings. For example, you could encourage the use of warm colors to express wrath or passion, and cool colors to promote calm and contemplation. You can also employ color psychology to help the individual grasp the emotional importance of their art or to create a specific emotional ambiance during the treatment session.

You must be aware of the associations that a person has with different colors and assist in the investigation of these associations during the creative art process. This is worth repeating: while colors have basic connotations with mood, sentiments, and emotions, it is ultimately up to the individual to bring meaning and associations to color, and art therapy practitioners must be alert and observant of individual attributions to color. 

Support

Support refers to how the art therapy practitioner makes the individual feel comfortable, accepted, and validated during the therapeutic process. This may include encouraging the individual, actively listening, and providing a nonjudgmental environment in which the client can express themselves via art. These words are intended to encourage and assist the person as they participate in the creative process. They are not intended to evaluate the completed artwork.Here are a few examples of how an art therapy practitioner could offer support and encouragement throughout a session.

• It's fine if you make an error. Mistakes can occasionally result in new and exciting ideas.

• I see you're very focused on your task. That's wonderful!

• I am fascinated by what you are working on. Could you please tell me more?

• It appears you're experimenting with a new technique. How do you feel?

• I see you're playing with different hues. What do they mean to you?

• I admire the time and effort you put into your painting. Just keep going!

Feedback

Feedback refers to the art therapy practitioner's observations and reflections on the client's artwork and the process of generating it. The practitioner may comment on the client's use of color, line, shape, and other artistic characteristics, as well as the emotional content and ideas portrayed in the work. The purpose of feedback is to assist the client in gaining insight into their process and to encourage self-exploration and growth. 

These statements are designed to help individuals reflect on their artwork and creative process. The art therapy practitioner may ask questions or provide supportive feedback to help the client explore their thoughts and feelings; but, the ultimate goal is to create a safe and supportive environment in which the person feels free to express themselves openly. These supportive interactions fuel exploration and boost the therapeutic value of the meeting, potentially leading to significant breakthroughs.

• I observed that your painting contains a lot of Purple. Purple is often associated with light-hearted, romantic energies, while darker shades can represent sadness and frustration. Can you tell me more about why you selected purple?

• I noticed that you employed a variety of brushstrokes in your painting. Some of them are outgoing and lively, while others are quiet and sensitive. Could you tell me more about what each of these brushstrokes represents for you?

• I admire how you used different textures in your collage. The rough and silky features provide great depth to your creation. Could you please explain to me what motivated you to use these textures?