colors, paint strokes, images, feelings

art to soothe your soul

May 21, 2026

my mom was a commissioned artist. my two sons have always been artistic as well, the oldest choosing to successfully pursue this path as his full-time career.

when i was young, i drew all the time and even won local art contests. but i’ve never considered myself an artist. i just don’t have the skills. i do, however, create art almost every day. mostly abstract paintings and intuitive collages, and sometimes i end up with a piece i really love. but i’m not in it for the art. that has never been my end goal. for me, it’s all about the process itself. it’s about my mental health. and it extends into my work as well.

i am a masters-level counselor and certified holistic life & wellness coach, and i often utilize art therapy exercises as an impactful self-care tool.

in early march of this year, just one month after my wrist surgery, i spent one windy afternoon sharing my thoughts on this topic with a delightful group of mennonite women who were gathered for a weekend retreat. the theme was self-care.

i brought along a crate of my self-discovery art journals to show what a daily ritual (typically about ten or fifteen minutes for me) could produce, and also to introduce a few techniques. i encouraged them to approach the blank pages in front of them without overthinking or second-guessing their creations. an invitation to go with their gut instincts and let things simply flow, whether already accomplished artists or total beginners.

i also shared that any difficult or conflicting emotions they may currently be experiencing might start sorting themselves out as they painted or collaged. that the complicated issues wouldn’t necessarily reach resolution, but — as they expressed themselves on paper — a welcome emotional release and greater clarity might be possible. feel to heal has been my client mantra for over 20 years, and it blends in nicely when creating art. the feelings become the colors and the paint strokes and the images. and the colors, paint strokes, and images become the feelings.

since i’d broken my right arm just six weeks earlier, i’d been doing everything with my left hand. i’m right-handed, but i had to learn to write, eat, create with my other hand. it was a hard and frustrating journey.

one thing really helped to keep me going though, and that is the fact that non-dominant activities are so very beneficial for your brain. i discussed some of these benefits with the group that day: how neuroplasticity is stimulated; how the awkwardness you might feel is the physical sensation of new neural connections and pathways being forged; how cognitive flexibility is boosted and coordination between the hemispheres increased.

after talking for a bit, we created art together. some chose to paint with watercolors or acrylics, some started working on collages. i challenged them to try using their non-dominant hand (i would be) or to try writing what i call found poetry (from the words in their collages). it was interesting and satisfying, for everyone, to see what emerged from the paintbrushes and pens, and with the glue sticks and scissors.