Creativity is a healing and insightful journey, especially when we are given permission to release control of the outcome and embrace the process of creation instead. Therapeutic art prompts are meant to inspire creativity, expression, and self-reflection. They have the potential to help you explore your identity, life, experiences, values, and mindfulness practices through artistic expression. You are invited to modify this prompt in order to best fit your own purposes.

Recommended materials

• Paper or other material to use as a canvas for your collage
• Something to write with (paint, markers, pens, pencils, crayons, or any writing utensil of your choice)
• Magazines, newspapers, images printed from the internet, scraps of paper, any other material you would like to use for your collage
• Glue, mod podge, or tape
• Brushes if you are using paint, glue, or mod podge

Create your collage

1. Divide your paper or canvas down the middle in whatever direction you’d prefer.
2. On the first half, write down negative thoughts or feelings you have about yourself by completing the sentence, “Even though I may know it’s not true, I sometimes think, feel, or believe I am . . .”
3. On the second half, write down neutral or positive thoughts or feelings you would prefer to have, or currently do have about yourself by completing the sentence, “I am learning to (see myself as) . . . “
4. On the first half of your canvas, use glue, tape, images from old magazines, books, scrap papers, the internet, and anything else you want to create a collage that represents what you need in your life in order to get from your negative thoughts, beliefs and feelings to the things you are learning to think, feel, or believe about yourself. Cover as much or as little of your negative thoughts as you would like.
5. On the second half of the canvas, use glue, tape, images, etc. to create a collage representing what it’s like to imagine you have mastered the things you are learning to believe about yourself.
6. Take a few moments to reflect on this process and your work; what insights do you have? You can choose to write this down or just ponder depending on what feels best to you.

Finally and most importantly . . .

Approach yourself with gentle curiosity, and encourage yourself to explore what it is like to let go of judgments surrounding what is “beautiful, good, and worthy” in art and in life.