Students Explore Stress Through Creative Collages

Zach Highlander, Student Reporter

This week’s activity for “Color Me Well” was making a collage to represent what contributes to stress and the biggest challenges in dealing with it. Although this was the third week of the five-week event, there were still spots open in the group, and it is an open group that anyone can still join. After the fifth week, they will begin another five-week cycle with a focus on mindfulness. 

The “Color Me Well” event is an art therapy group with the intention  of helping students de-stress and enjoy the activities of art therapy. It is hosted in East Hall room 115 from 3:00 until 4:00 p.m. It is a five-week program in which the students who participate start with an art-based activity and then follow that with a group discussion. The event has a wide variety of creative methods to experiment with from paints, pencils, markers and more ways to be creative and make art. 

Students who participate do not need any prior form of art therapy or experience. The event follows an integrative mental health approach. Art therapy under the guidance of trained art therapists has proven to increase self-awareness, build emotional resilience and help how the brain reacts to stressors. All sessions are closed-door.