Forget what you think you know, forgive, and love.A friend of ours, Mark, dropped this little philosophical morsel into a conversation the other day.  We’ve been chewing on it since.  Although it seems to be so simple, there was something so profound and true to it.  However, those three things are probably the most challenging calls to action ever laid …

How to Use Art to Forget What You Think You Know, Forgive, and Love Click to Read Post »

Julia's Vision Board In Response to Her Year in Review

You may have already moved on from 2023, so why bother doing a “Year in Review”? Especially when the first thing that comes to mind might be either that “nothing happened” or “it was a horrible year!” So why bother? 1) Because we quickly forget our lives 2) Because when we do remember, the negativity bias is likely to highlight …

Year In Review 2023: How To Do The Review and Why Bother Click to Read Post »

It’s difficult to call for “Gratitude” practices when we have such critical things happening in the world right now. But it is also important that we not give in to hopelessness and overwhelm when things are so bad. The negativity bias, our unconscious tendency to notice negative things over positive ones, will make it seem like there is nothing but …

Attending to the Good to Overcome Hopelessness/Why Gratitude Matters Click to Read Post »

Rebecca—who is back East because of a complicated dental implant that isn’t healing well—was bemoaning to her husband KC that she felt overwhelmed and couldn’t think straight.  She’s been surfing between her mother and her sister’s couches and torn between wanting to spend time with them and wanting to be home with KC and the cats. Stressed OutWhat’s distressed her …

Stress Wants A Home To Live in Click to Read Post »

Gioia-Openness

We just taught a class on “Art Therapy and Positive Psychology” with graduate art therapy students so we are warmed up to the topic.  One of the assignments we give the students is to notice their strengths in action for a week. Values In Action Survey To start, we have them take the Values In Action survey, aa assessment which …

What Are Your Signature Strengths and Why They Matter As Much As Your Weaknesses Click to Read Post »

In the “Art for Self Discovery” workshops we’ve been running recently, we’ve seem people come for many different reasons.  Most are just “regular” folks who are curious about what their art is saying.  Some have heard about art therapy and want to learn more about it.  Some are artists who are stuck and want to jump start their creativity.  Others …

Art Trauma–Why You Need to Get Over It and How to Do That Click to Read Post »

Last month we paid tribute to Irvo Otieno, Joshua McLemore, and Jordan Neely who died essentially because their mental illness was not understood by others. What Does It Meant To Be Mentally Well/Mentally WellPerhaps because of those distressing cases, or maybe because it’s mental health awareness month, we’ve seen a lot of attention being devoted to addressing mental illness.  But …

Mental Illness/Mental Wellness Click to Read Post »