The Activity of Express with Art

Express with Art is an artistic activity and playful tool to inspire creativity and invite people to reflect.

In advance, grab a tub or several sticks of play-dough, the more colours the better. Once you have gathered your group, distribute the play-dough to each person in your group.

A handful of play-dough is normally enough for each person to work with.

Instruct each person to mold the play-dough into an object or artful expression which represents their response to one or more questions you pose. For example, you could ask them to create an expression of how they felt at the end of the activity, or build an object that represents how successful they think their group has been, etc.

Keep your questions open-ended, and provide ample time for your group to shape their dough. When ready, invite one or more of your group members to show off their play-dough and explain the rationale behind their creation.

Creating something out of nothing can be a powerful self-reflection exercise that can assist your group to be present to what they are feeling. Encourage your group that there is no one right answer and everyone’s experience of being mindful will be different.

The evocative nature of moulding play-dough is ideal for exploring and developing emotional literacy. Help your group to explore what they are creating and/or interpreting in their creations to help them identify, explore and navigate a range of emotions such as compassion and empathy, frustration, conflict, joy and sorrow.

The topics of this publication: reflection, self, mindfulness, creativity, emotions, honesty, trust, integration, senses, foster relationships