Anxious Thoughts
Art Prompt: Using lines, shapes, and colors, identify areas in your life causing you stress in this moment.
Materials: 6x6 watercolor pad, metallic watercolor paints, watercolor brushes
Anxiety can manifest in many ways—feeling restless, unable to catch your breath, or experiencing a general sense of unease without a clear cause. These feelings are common and can be part of our body's natural response to stress.
This is a great art prompt to use when you are feeling overwhelmed and when it is difficult for you to figure out why you are feeling stressed. Sometimes when we are busy, we are programmed to keep moving (go on with work and function without taking a moment to figure out the root of our anxiety) and push it down and never revisit those feelings.
This art prompt makes you sit down and reflect on each feeling or area that is bouncing around in your head. For me, I identified a color for each thought or “issue” that is consuming my mind at this moment. I did not include my small daily tasks but the large and overarching issues impacting my mood and my day. I made myself focus in on the areas in my life that are causing me stress and through the process of creating I was able to internally reflect on why these areas are causing me stress. This art prompt made me realize that there is one constant issue bleeding into other ones, compounding the other areas of my life. As I sat with my stressors and called them out by name, I was able to organize what is important in the now, what will be important to tackle later, and what do I have zero control over.
Journal prompts for further exploration of the directive and/or image:
What physical symptoms are you experiencing that you believe may be related to stress? Describe these symptoms in detail. How do they affect your daily life and well-being?
Reflect on recent situations where you felt a strong emotional reaction. What was happening in those moments? How might stress be influencing your emotional responses?
Have you noticed any changes in your behavior or habits recently? This could include changes in your eating, sleeping, or social habits. How do you think stress might be contributing to these changes?
Write about any changes in your thought patterns or cognitive abilities. Are you experiencing more negative thoughts, difficulty concentrating, or memory issues? How might these be connected to stress?
Consider your relationships with others. Have you noticed any tension or changes in how you interact with friends, family, or colleagues? Explore how stress might be impacting these relationships and what you can do to address it.
Tips:
I am vague in my description of my image for two reasons: A.) this is an example to help people see the progression and thought behind the process, B.) so that my image and description does not stifle your own creative exploration within this prompt.
Do not overthink the art directive. Jump into creating with your first thought and allow the image to form itself.
Explore the artwork when you’re completed and see what you notice in your colors, method, imagery. Sometimes you’ll have new insights once you’re finished creating.
Materials will be suggested, use whatever you have access to or materials you’d prefer.
Work as little or as long as you’d like.
Don’t create thinking of a product, focus solely on the process. This may not be something you’d like to hang on the wall and that is perfectly fine and often preferred 🙂
You may not always be able to reflect on your image and understand what it means. Sometimes just simply engaging in the art process is therapeutic enough.
While these directives are designed for deeper exploration of self, sometimes they may cause one to feel overwhelmed. These prompts should not replace therapy. If any of these prompts bring up unsafe emotions and you feel you are a danger to yourself or others, please call 911 or go to your nearest hospital.
