Art Therapy and Anxiety: Confidence Through Creativity
It’s no secret that art-making is a helpful tool when dealing with anxiety. Just take a stroll through any bookstore or online retailer; the plethora of Anxiety-Reducing Adult Coloring Books on the market will tell you that. And they’re popular for good reason — creative expression is shown to reduce stress-related hormones in your body.
But here’s the irony: many people (especially adults) feel anxious about the idea of engaging in art therapy. As an art therapist for adults, I hear it all the time: “I’m not an artist,” “I suck at art,” “I haven’t done art since elementary school.” You may have even had the same thoughts when you read the words “art therapy.”
This is a perfect example of your brain doing the exact thing you want it to STOP doing: Avoiding based on fear. And you know what? Those fears are valid. They inform us of what we might fear the most — being judged, failing, and stepping outside of our comfort zone. But the beauty of art therapy is that it’s not about the product at all — it’s about the process.
Art therapy is a form of psychotherapy facilitated by a masters-level, credentialed art therapist. Check out my previous blog post to get an idea of what an actual art therapy session might be like.
Here are some ways art therapy can help with anxiety:
Gets it all out there
Similar to journaling, art therapy can help you externalize your emotions. For many, putting all their thoughts, feelings, and emotions out onto paper (or other physical medium) can help start to untangle them. Art-making provides a new language for emotions that doesn’t solely rely on words. This can be helpful for people for visual learners, people with ADHD, or those who have tried talk therapy in the past but feel they need more. Sometimes we aren’t even aware of our emotions until we can see them in our artwork.
Challenges your brain
Using art materials, especially when you don’t use them often, can come with unforeseen challenges. Materials don’t always cooperate the way we expect them to. Making art can improve problem-solving skills, and show your therapist how your brain tends to work when you face a problem. Do you give up and rip up your paper, start over, or work with your mistake? Do you laugh it off or get really in your head about it? Often when we face challenges in art-making, the way we respond mirrors how we respond to challenges in our own lives.
Mindfulness and Coping Tool
Once you get more comfortable with making art, it can become an amazing tool to practice mindfulness and self-regulation. Anxiety often puts us into cycles of overthinking, ruminating on the past, or worrying about the future. Art therapy helps you engage with the “here and now” by shifting your focus to the materials in front of you. This is a great option for those who struggle with stillness in traditional meditation. It allows your mind to quiet while keeping your hands engaged in movement.
Boosts Self-Esteem
Anxiety often brings self-doubt, negative self-talk, and a tendency to overlook accomplishments. It’s easy to get stuck in a cycle of feeling “not enough” when anxiety takes over. Art therapy helps break this cycle by fostering a sense of accomplishment—whether it’s completing a painting, learning a new skill, or finally expressing an emotion that’s been building up. Through creative exploration, art therapy encourages you to embrace mistakes, step outside your comfort zone, and trust the process. Over time, many people find that the confidence and resilience they build in art therapy start to carry over into other areas of life.
If you feel stuck in traditional talk therapy or are new to therapy and looking for a different approach, art therapy might be the right fit for you. I’d love to answer any questions you have—feel free to reach out! You can email me at cassidy@keystonearttherapy.com or call (267)-507-1692.
