How to Design a Creative Happy Hour

Courageously expressing yourself on a blank piece of paper can be therapeutic, and you don’t need to be artistic or even know how to draw to do so. This is the principle behind art therapy, a playful practice that allows you to observe yourself without judgement, work through inner tensions, and reconnect with what’s important in your life.

This approach can help you release all manner of stress, says art psychotherapist Penelope Orfanoudaki, MA. “Art therapy uses ‘mark making’ to help you connect with yourself and whatever is going on in your world at the moment,” she explains. “You don’t have to be traumatized to do it, just dealing with the stresses of daily life.”

If you have only an hour, do this activity alone to truly focus. With a bit more time, this can be a fun, connecting activity to do with a trusted friend or partner.

PREPARE:

Gather some large, plain white sheets of paper, a pencil, and some colors of your choice. Colored pens or pencils are fine, as are different kinds of paints or pastels. Find a quiet, private, comfortable space. Place a treasured object or something from nature nearby to remind yourself that you’re on retreat.

CHOOSE:

Decide whether you’d like to draw a circle, a line, or three dots. If you draw a circle, imagine it as part of an image, and complete the image. If you draw a line, imagine it as a connector or separator in an image, and complete that image. If you make three dots, connect them in any way you want to complete the image.

CREATE:

Start immediately, without a plan. Let go of perfectionism. Be playful. As you draw, you get to decide the size of your circle or the length and shape of your lines and where they are placed on the paper. Color and embellish your image.

OBSERVE:

In the last 10 minutes of your hour, look at your image. What do you see? How does it make you feel? Why do you think you chose that color or made that shape? Write down your thoughts in a journal or on a separate piece of paper. Don’t judge yourself; there is no right or wrong. Give your artwork a title, then set it aside and get on with your day.

REFLECT:

Allow your creation and its title to percolate in your mind during the hours that follow. Has it provided any insights? What might your creation, or your feelings about it, say about how you’re doing? Has it prompted you to consider any changes you might need to make in your life today? If you wish, share your discoveries with someone you trust.