We are excited to be presenting our Painting Mental Health Workshop to the fellows at Sustaining Way. This program funded by euphoriaGrant23. We are grateful for their support of this program for students.

If you organization is interested in a Painting Mental Health Workshop, please contact us.

Goals

Physical health and mental health are viewed through the same lens of compassion and fair mindedness which contributes to the empowerment and care for all of humanity.

Objectives

Participants will: 

• Deepen their understanding of how stigma and self-stigma negatively affect those living with mental health conditions. 

• Define stigma, self-stigma, and explain how it fuels suffering.

• Take their mental health temperature to build solidarity through awareness.

• Apply painting as a strategy for self-care, a medium for self expression, and a springboard for discussing mental health conditions.

Agenda

• Introductions - Who we are and What we do

• Norms and Self-Care Tools and Resources

• Icebreaker

• Why incorporate the visual and performing arts? There is an Intersection Between the Arts and Mental Health 

• Discussion - What about the video stood out to you - Tabletop discussion

• Anxiety - Assumptions - Write your initial thoughts

• Paint what comes to mind

• If comfortable, participants share with their tabletop group. Leaders ask for a few volunteers to share with large group

• Walt’s Waltz film series in 2021 was followed by our 2 month Step Out Of Stigma Art Exhibit in 2022. Share several artists pieces on anxiety

• Tabletop–discussion - What resonates with you? (Ask open ended questions)

• Present artists description of their work

• Communication - Anxiety

• Take your mental health temperature - Scan QR Code, view scores and reflect on a series of 3 questions.

• Myths or Fact about anxiety - Let’s play

• Stigmatizing Language - Group share - Breaking Stigma - What words stigmatize depression? (Assumptions)

• Define Stigma, Self-Stigma, large group discussion 

• Depression - Assumptions - Write your initial thoughts

• Paint what comes to mind

• What colors, shapes, & symbols do you associate with depression?

• Myths and Facts about depression - helpful assumptions and language for discussing depression

• Introduce Walt’s Waltz Mascot - open up discussion about the image 

• Paint Mascot - soothing background music

• End with Positive Affirmations

• Group photo of participants with mascot painting 

• Evaluation

  All Participants receive our Self-Care Gift Set – includes 16 count watercolors and paper set is included to encourage the use of art as a wellness strategy.