Goals: 1. To discuss growth by opening up a dialog about accomplishments and future growth
2. Provide an opportunity to discuss grief and use art as a memorial to lost loved ones
Materials: Any plastic bottle, paints, paintbrushes, cardstock paper, hot glue, mod pudge, or super glue.
Procedure/Directives:
1. After collecting a plastic bottle and color of cardstock, think about what growth means to the client or yourself. Some specific questions to spark conversation might be; What is something you feel you have grown in, what is something you want to work on, and how can you show this through art? If the goal is for grief, questions can include how this loss affects you, what are some memories you have, and how can we honor those memories?
2. Hold the plastic bottle and start painting. If you want more control, you can put a figure in the top on the bottle (in the hole) for control.
3. To finish the bottle, balance it on its head and let it dry.
4. While the bottle is drying, you can take the cardstock and start creating a flower out of the selected material. I painted the flower on the paper.
5. Once the bottle is dry, you can glue the bottle to the paper. This may require extra help if working with a client.
6. You may add more paint to the bottle or paper once altogether.
7. Describe the art at the end and discuss what you got from the activity or what the client got.
8. Finally, clean up the workspace.
Variations: In my example, I painted on the cardstock to create my flower, others can explore and use things such as color pencils, oil pastels, watercolor, collage paper, old books, fake flowers, or real plants as well as mod pudge items onto the water bottle.
Adaptions: Depending on the participant's abilities and levels, some may struggle to hold the bottle and painting. The client can use a cup to hold the bottle in place or the therapist can hold the bottle to help make painting easier. Hot gluing may be an issue for some clients, so the therapist may need to give extra assistance.
Supply information/Resources: Supplies may be purchased at local craft stores or online. Cardstock can be bought at Michaels, Target, Walmart, or Amazon for 5$ or less. Other materials like paint can also be found at these locations with varied pieces mostly under 10$. Water bottles can be collected and are saved by the art therapist. Some supplies were already obtained like glue and paintbrushes. The estimated cost of this project is about $15- $30 for a group setting.
Contraindications/Safety Considerations: When using paints, be aware of what you use. When used with children, use non-toxic art supplies. Use water-based products to avoid potential hazards from solvents. Make sure containers are closed when not in use and be aware of flammability. Also, when using acrylic paint be careful of respiratory irritation or allergies of individuals. When using hot glue guns be aware and careful of burns and when using other glues art therapists should monitor the use and assure participants do not ingest.
Population: This could be used in a group or individual settings with children, adolescents, adults, or as self-care. The project can help clients with the affirmation of growth or coping with the loss of a loved one.
Cultural Considerations: The art therapist should be aware of grief across cultures for those participants from cultures other than her own. The art therapist also should be aware of the cultural differences of what growth might mean across different cultures.
Setting: School settings or outpatient counseling centers. In grief groups or individually. The session would be an hour.
Structure: Low Medium High
Complexity: Low Medium High
ETC level: Cognitive/Symbolic Level
Resources: When working with children and grief you may use The Heart and the Bottle by Oliver Jeffers – Read Aloud on YouTube. Other books are available on grief for many age groups.
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