Ready to Engage in Our Art Prompts?
This blog is designed to offer creative prompts that spark self-reflection, expression, and exploration through artmaking. Each response provided is intentionally vague so that readers can glimpse the thought process behind the directive without having someone else’s image influence their own. The structure is simple: prompts are shared, a brief example is given, and space is left open for individual exploration.
Guidelines for Your Creative Process
Follow your first instinct. Do not overthink the directive, begin with the first idea that comes to mind and allow the artwork to unfold naturally.
Focus on process, not product. The goal is exploration, not perfection. The finished piece may not be something to hang on the wall, and that is completely okay.
Use what’s available. While suggested materials may be listed, feel free to substitute with whatever you have on hand.
Take your own pace. Spend as little or as much time as you’d like—there is no right or wrong.
Notice what emerges. Once finished, take a moment to observe your colors, imagery, and methods. Insights often appear after the process is complete.
Allow space for mystery. Not every image will reveal its meaning. Sometimes the act of creating is therapeutic in itself.
Found Poetry
Create your own poem with the words found from your favorite book. This art therapy prompt combines both writing and art making. Use the words or phrases you find to spark your writing and art process.
Flip the page
Flip through a book to find a word or phrase that stands out to you. Create an image that to explore your connection to the word or phrase that you chose. This free association art prompt takes the thinking out of starting to create. Create whatever image comes up in relation to what you’ve found in the book.
and the opposite…
This art prompt starts with one negative emotion, then asking you to explore the opposite emotion. Using bleeding tissue paper and watercolor paper, you will create what each emotion looks like to you by exploring the last time you felt each emotion. This prompt encourages you to explore how you experienced that emotion and how you felt that emotion within your body.
Identity
Art Prompt: Create what your identity looks like. Using watercolor pencils and a piece of 4x4 inch watercolor, explore your identity through lines, shapes and colors. The smaller paper as your canvas can help with the broad exploration of your identity. Have you ever really sat down and thought through who you are and what makes you, you?
Association
This art directive incorporates free association into art making. Select an image as your starting point. Create an art response to that image and why that image “spoke” to you today. Use an array of materials in your creative process.
Admire
We’re highlighting the positive qualities of others in our lives. Identify someone that you’ve always looked up to and then create an image that highlights one of their positive qualities.
Easy Days
Within this art prompt, you are asked to create an image of what it feels like when things in life are going well. This image explores feelings opposite of stress and fear.
The pest..
Explore something in your life that appears unexpectedly or suddenly. A person, type of person, feeling, behavior or thought. This directive is called the “pest” because of its nature to show up often unwanted. Explore through art making or journaling.
Your Journey
This prompt encourages exploration of your life’s journey through creative expression. This directive can explore specific defining experiences within your life.
Most Consistent Emotion
Through art creation, explore your most consistent or powerful emotion this week.
A Note on Emotional Safety
These prompts are created to encourage deeper exploration of self, but they are not a replacement for therapy. At times, creating art may stir overwhelming emotions. If this happens and you ever feel unsafe with your thoughts or actions, please reach out for help immediately by calling 911 or going to your nearest hospital.