“This is Alexander (he/him) the rare red platypus. This was my first time using polymer clay. I found him hard to make compared to other clays. I like how he feels after being oven baked.” This participant gave me consent to share #creativeandexperientialtherapies #polymerclay #platypus #creativetherapy #arttherapy

This week in the studio we’ve been exploring the theme of shields through creative expression. We were invited to reflect on the people, communities, values and identities that help us feel protected, supported and strong. Here’s my shield, inspired by Pride, belonging and authenticity. Creating it reminded me that sometimes the things that protect us are not armour at all, but connection, self-acceptance and being truly seen. Pride Shield by Rae Sabine #prideshield #shield..

“Healing doesn’t always arrive through words. Sometimes it arrives with glue covered fingers, bright colours and a tiny fluffy bear. As I made this little companion, I realised I wasn’t just creating art. I was giving my younger self something soft, playful and safe.” This participant gave mr consent to share #healingthroughart #creativeandexperientialtherapies #youngerself #artheals #reparentingtheinnerchild

“IF YOU’VE GOT SOME ACCUMULATED TRAUMA AND YOU’RE PROCESSING YOUR EMOTIONS AND HISTORY AND YOU’RE RECONGILING YOUR SADNESS WITH YOUR OUTLOOK BE GAY, DO RHYMES WRITE SOME POETRY SING SOME SONGS CRY YOUR TEARS AND QUELL YOUR FEARS WITH THE CREATIVE FOCUS YOU CALIBRATE AND SWELL LET YOUR HEART BEAT TRULY AND LET YOUR THOUGHTS BE UNRULY MAY YOUR TROUBLES PASS AND YOUR HEART SETTLE FOR LOVE FOUND IN MOMENTS OF CREATION” Be Gay, Do Rhymes by Paul F Donnelly #begaydorhymes #poetryth

“Making these cards helped me express parts of my queer identity in a way that felt natural and creative. The colours and layers came together without me needing to plan every step and that felt right for how my identity moves and shifts. Adding the queer symbols on the other side made the cards feel personal and grounded. It was a way of naming the parts of myself that matter even the ones I do not always show. Seeing the symbols alongside the abstract front helped me realis

“We rolled the clay into a ball then we pushed my thumb into the clay and I pitched it to make a pot. Then next session I painted it to look like a flower.” This participant gave me permission to share #pinchpot #flowerpot #finemotorskills #claypot #creativeandexperientialtherapies

“Her physicality speaks for herself. She owes no words.” Repressed anger surfacing by Megan Fromholtz #creativeandexperientialtherapies #repressedanger #healingthroughart #expressiveart #speaksforherself

“The movement of the puppet made me feel like it was performing, which made me think of a harlequin. It felt good to be back exploring paper craft.” This participant gave me permission to share #papercraft #harlequin #puppettherapy #creativeandexperientialtherapies #puppet

“This is a way to cut cords with something or someone that no longer brings you joy. It serves the emotional connection. The candles represent you and what you want to disconnect from. The cord is what ties you to the personal thing. You can add any herbs, oils, or crystals that are suitable for each personal ritual.” This participant gave me consent to share #cordcuttingritual #creativeandexperientialtherapies #ritualhealing #cuttingcords #cordcutting

“When I try to breathe, I start to drown. It’s hard to put words to this piece. When I approached the paper, I truly just drew without any thought. I’ve fallen behind in uni and it’s an overwhelming, smothering kind of feeling and I feel as if this piece encapsulated that.” This participant gave me permission to share #creativeandexperientialtherapies #artheals #emergentart #arthelps #creativetherapy

“When RSD hits I feel heavy or hot in the red areas of my body and the purple parts are where I feel tired. Mapping it out helps me notice the sensations instead of pushing the feelings down.” This participant gave me consent to share #bodymapping #rsd #rejectionsensitivedysphoria #somaticarttherapy #creativeandexperientialtherapies

“This represents the innocents (especially children affected by war. I took the fore print with an analogue camera and then blended it with a famous World War 2 propaganda pic.). I sketched and was playing with the first painting off of the famous Pink Floyd scream and the forefront being that of Muas. Pretty dark, but not all art is light. Helps to stop the darkness from consuming myself, so the release/art therapy helps for me to speak in words that I can’t always digress o

“This peace was inspired by the idea of taking a break and doing something different. Instead of solely focusing on the environment and the emotions I was feeling, as with my main pieces. This one was instead inspired by a simple concept: catharsis. Thus creating this piece to display a mountain on the horizon with trees and open fields. The idea of the pier represents the connection to stability while also allowing for change (in the form of weather wear and tear). The fox a

“This is Frank (he/him) the blue dinosaur and Cozy (she/they) the orange bat. They are unlikely friends. This was the first time I used soft clay and it felt weirdly soft but slimy.“ This participant gave me consent to share #softclay #creativeandexperientialtherapies #creativetherapy #artishealing #artheals

I’m really excited to share that my artwork and poem Misgendering (2025) are being published in Art Therapy. This piece is deeply personal, exploring the experience of being misgendered through self-portraiture, collage and poetry, and it feels pretty special to see a piece of my own creative work finding a home in the art therapy literature. Snapshot of an email from the Production Editor. #arttherapy #taylorandfrancis #arttherapyjournal #arttherapypublication #creativeandex

“I don’t always know what I’m looking at when I begin. A feeling. A memory. A sensation. A fragment of a story. Creative and experiential therapy helps me stay with the uncertainty long enough for something meaningful to emerge. Not all at once. Just enough for the next step.” This participant gave me consent to share #creativeandexperientialtherapies #creativetherapy #healingthroughart #arthealing #artheals

“Dance with the waves, move with the sea. Let the rhythm of the water set your soul free.” - Mary Oliver This participant gave me permission to share #creativeandexperientialtherapies #bilateraldrawing #artwillsetyoufree #healingthroughart #artheals

“I made this because seeing the water fountains is one of my favourite memories. Another one of my favourite memories is meeting Rae.” This participant gave me permission to share #creativeandexperientialtherapies #childledtherapy #playtherapy #minecraftblocks #minecrafttherapy

“This was a delicate process. I did the first image and discovered the leaves afterwards. I also discovered unknown growth.“ This participant gave me permission to share #growththroughart #artheals #creativehealing #creativeandexperientialtherapies #artprogress

“Beyond the glorification, the reality isn’t what the propaganda wants us to think… What’s not ever really highlighted is the true struggles with trauma, each having our own to carry…In the end we only have ourselves and those we choose to let in, often with battle scars of their own. Each is trying to prop each other up, as the systems are purposely torn down to be broken, on those already too broken to stand up and fight back anymore…” AM gave me permission to share...