Art and Wellbeing - Crafting Joy
A guest blog by our wonderful team member, Charlotte Holmes. Charlotte champions Art Therapy across our three homes as a vital form of communication that goes above and beyond traditional methods of communication. It has been invaluable for unlocking conversations and creating safe spaces for people to share.
As we head towards Mental Health Awareness week, Charlotte explores the joy and power of Art and Wellbeing.
Art and Wellbeing - Crafting Joy
“I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn’t say any other way - things I had no words for.” - Georgia O’Keeffe
Art is a beautiful form of expression that we use across our homes to value our unique identities and bring people together. We craft seasonal display boards, have regular art and craft sessions, the opportunity to attend art college courses and 1-1 art therapy sessions.
Some individuals create art on a daily basis, colouring to relax, whereas others value group craft activities with motivation from those around them.
Art is empowering. Independently, or with support, the process of creating art builds confidence and skills to increase a sense of self-control and overall wellbeing.
Art therapy can be particularly beneficial for autistic adults and adults with a learning disability as it ‘offers a non-verbal, sensory-rich pathway for expression’. ‘The process honors neurodiversity by valuing visual thinking, emotional nuance, and non-verbal communication.’ (Arts Therapy: Supporting Adults with Autism https://www.thearttherapyresourceshub.com/arts-therapy-supporting-adults-with-autism/ )
May: Mandalas for Mental Health
In May we are partaking in Mental Health Awareness Week (11th - 17th May 2026).
The focus this year is ‘Action’ - ‘Even small actions can help us feel hopeful and less powerless. And while our individual actions matter, when we come together we are even more powerful.’ (https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/our-work/public-engagement/mental-health-awareness-week)
Art and mental health go hand-in-hand - where creation aids self-expression, communication and emotional regulation. Art supports individual wellbeing, but also creates togetherness, which promotes greater mental health for all of our community.
Recently, we have been creating mandalas, meaning ‘circle’. ‘The process of making a mandala incorporates both symmetry and flow, and structure with flexibility. As we play and explore through art, within the safety of the circle’. This form of art regulates emotions; it is a ‘beneficial stress reliever’ and ‘can help well-being and reduce anxiety.’ Colouring mandalas is a calming process, allowing 'personal peace through the simple, concentrated, and meditative act of colouring.'
(https://sagehousetherapy.com/blog/how-mandalas-can-help-well-being)
The symbolism of circles is unity and wholeness. Mandalas represent a central point connecting to the whole, individuals coming together as one. 'Human beings have always organised ourselves into mandala-like communities'. We create human circles - friends and family - that we value as ‘protective and nurturing and familiar.' Creating and colouring mandalas reflects our sense of community and keeps us connected. 'We need our human mandalas to live a rich and fulfilling life’. (https://sagehousetherapy.com/blog/how-mandalas-can-help-well-being)
~Charlotte
As we look ahead to Mental Health Week, we will be encouraging conversations about wellbeing with the people we support, as well as between ourselves as a staff team. We would like to thank Charlotte for bringing the peace that can be obtained through the power of art and Mandalas to our attention, and we hope that this bit of inspiration will help others too. As Charlotte shared: Even small actions can help us feel hopeful and less powerless.