How to Start an Art Journaling Practice for Self-Care (From an Art Therapist in Denver)
Why This Art Therapist in Denver Recommends Art Journaling
Before I became an art therapist, I used art as a way to express emotions I didn’t always have the words for—especially during difficult times when I felt disconnected or overwhelmed. Art journaling became a safe and personal way to check in with myself, and it’s a practice I’ve returned to throughout many different seasons of life.
Art journaling offers something uniquely healing. For human beings navigating big emotions, identity shifts, or simply seeking space to breathe—it can be more than a hobby. It becomes a ritual—a gentle way to process what’s going on inside, without the pressure to explain, perform, make “perfect” art or a masterpiece.
Keep reading to learn how to start your own art journal practice, guided by insight from an experienced art therapist in Denver.
Why Art Journaling Supports Self-Care and Healing: From an Art Therapist in Denver
Art journaling can be more than just a fun hobby (though it might look like one on the outside!). What I’ve found—both personally and professionally—is that this kind of creative practice can deeply support our wellbeing, especially when we’re feeling overwhelmed, anxious, or disconnected.
Creating Movement in the Nervous System
As a trauma-informed art therapist in Denver, I often share with clients that art-making isn’t just about creating something that looks pleasing to the eye. It’s about creating movement—within the nervous system, within our emotional world, and within ourselves. Research backs this up: engaging in creative, nonverbal expression actually helps regulate the nervous system. When we’re stuck in stress, anxiety, or a depressive fog, the nervous system becomes dysregulated. Expressive arts like art journaling help move emotional energy through the body, not just keep it bottled up. Emotions are meant to be felt—not avoided or repressed—and art gives them a place to land.
Practice Makes Presence
Beyond emotional release, a consistent art journaling practice helps us build a more compassionate relationship with ourselves. You know the phrase, “Practice makes perfect”? I like to think of it differently here: practice makes presence.
The more we show up to our journals with honesty and curiosity, the more we begin to know ourselves—our patterns, our truths, our needs. This presence creates space for healing. It allows us to tap into insight, inner wisdom, and even spiritual connection. Unlike surface-level self-care (think bubble baths or pedicures—though those are great too!), art journaling invites us to go deeper. It’s sustainable, soul-nourishing, and often free—aside from some basic art supplies. It becomes a practice of returning home to yourself again and again.
What You Need to Start Your Art Journaling Practice
Starting an art journaling practice is refreshingly simple. You don’t need fancy materials or a fully stocked studio—just a few basic supplies and a space where you feel comfortable creating. That’s it. Everyone’s preferences will be a little different when it comes to art supplies, so it’s okay to start small and see what feels good to work with.
Consider a Travel Art Kit
Personally, I like to keep my art journaling materials together in a travel pouch so I can take them with me wherever I go. I’ve found I create more often when my materials are easily accessible—because inspiration tends to show up when I’m out living life, not just when I’m at home. In my kit, I keep a small journal, a travel watercolor set with a water brush, a paper towel for blotting, and a few of my favorite pens—a brush pen, an archival ink pen, and a white gel pen.
When I’m at home, I like to spread out a little more. I’ll bring in things like collage images, washi tape, or paint pens. But none of that is required to begin. Just start with what you have and explore from there. The most important thing is giving yourself permission to play.
Start Simple: Ideas From an Art Therapist in Denver
Here are some ideas to get you started:
An art journal – Choose one with mixed media paper if you plan to paint or collage.
Drawing materials – Try pens, markers, crayons, pastels, or paint pens.
Watercolors + a water brush – A travel set is perfect for on-the-go journaling.
Collage materials – Precut magazine clippings, old book pages, or meaningful scraps.
Start simple. Stay curious. And trust that your creative voice will grow the more you express it.
Tips to Begin Without Perfectionism Getting in the Way: Gentle Guidance From an Art Therapist in Denver
Let’s be real—there are so many unhelpful messages out there about who “gets” to make art and what it should look like. These stories can shut us down before we even begin. But here’s what I want you to remember: you don’t need to be an artist to start an art journal. You don’t even have to feel creative (yet).
Because you're human, you're inherently creative. Just look at little kids—they create with wild abandon, without judgment or hesitation. Many of us have just forgotten how to access that part of ourselves. Art journaling can be the doorway back. It’s a low-pressure space where there’s no grade, no critique—just you and whatever wants to come through.
Start Small and Build at Your Own Pace
As an art therapist in Denver, I always tell my clients: start small. Our nervous systems aren’t big fans of change—even when it’s good for us. By keeping your art journaling practice bite-sized and doable, you’re gently letting your body know: this is safe, this is good, we can do this.
What does that actually look like?
Try using a small sketchbook or journal so it doesn’t feel intimidating.
Begin with just 1-2 sessions per week—even just 10 minutes is enough.
As it starts to feel more natural, add more frequency or time as it fits your life.
And if you skip a day, or a month, or a whole season? That’s okay. Your art journal will still be there, waiting without judgment.
There’s No Right or Wrong Way
The beauty of art journaling is that it’s yours. As someone who offers art therapy in Denver, I’ve seen how healing it can be for people to have a creative space that doesn’t come with rules or pressure.
Some days, your journal might just hold a scribble. Other days, it might be a splash of watercolor, or a collage of scraps—a note from your kid, a receipt, a quote that hit home. It all counts.
The only “rule” here? Let go of the need to make it perfect. Your art journal doesn’t need to be pretty. It can hold your grief, your joy, your overwhelm, your questions. It’s not about the product—it’s about showing up for yourself.
Personalizing Your Art Journaling Practice
Your art journal isn’t meant to look like anyone else’s—and that’s kind of the whole point. While it’s totally normal (and helpful!) to find inspiration from others when you’re just starting out, your practice will be most powerful when it’s aligned with you—your rhythms, your interests, your needs.
I often remind clients that this practice isn’t about performance or perfection. It’s about presence. Your journal is a place where you get to follow your curiosity and create in ways that feel nourishing—not like another thing on your already full to-do list.
Turn It Into a Ritual, Not a Chore
Your creative practice should feel like a gentle return to yourself—not another task to complete. The more personal and inviting your art journaling practice feels, the more likely you are to return to it. That’s why I encourage turning it into a simple ritual. This doesn’t have to be elaborate—it just has to feel good to you.
You might try:
Brewing your favorite tea or coffee
Playing music that sets the mood
Lighting a candle or using calming essential oils
Creating by a window with natural light or in your coziest corner
Or, if that feels like too much, simply start with a deep breath or a quiet moment to check in with yourself before you put pen to paper. Let your journal meet you exactly where you are, without needing to “do it right.” Whether you create in silence or with music, in short bursts or long sessions, what matters most is that it feels like home to you.
7 Simple Prompts to Begin Your Art Journal Practice: Creative Entry Points From an Art Therapist in Denver
Getting started is often the hardest part—but you don’t have to stare at a blank page wondering what to do. Below are several beginner-friendly prompts that can be returned to again and again—each time will be different depending on where you are and what you need. They’re meant to support your healing, curiosity, and self-reflection through creativity:
Draw Your Current Mood as a Weather Pattern: No words—just colors, shapes, and textures. Are you sunny, stormy, foggy, or somewhere in between?
Create a “Right Now” Page: Fill the page with whatever feels present for you today—words, colors, fragments, or random objects (like a tea tag, receipt, or dried leaf).
Use Color to Express an Emotion: Choose one feeling—like overwhelm, calm, or hope—and fill a page using only color to express it.
Collage a Self-Portrait Using Found Images: Cut out shapes, textures, or images from old magazines or packaging that feel like parts of you—your roles, your energy, your dreams.
Paint or Draw a Place Where You Feel Safe: This might be real, imagined, or a combination of both. Let the imagery hold you.
Write a Letter to Your Inner Child—Then Add Visuals: Reflect through writing first, then layer in color, drawings, or symbols that come up while reading your letter back to yourself.
Create a Visual “Release” Page: Scribble, tear paper, splash paint—whatever helps you move stuck energy out of your body and onto the page.
A Gentle Invitation to Begin
If you’re feeling the nudge to begin, try just one prompt today. Set a timer for five or ten minutes, let go of the outcome, and allow whatever needs to come through to meet the page. That small beginning is enough.
More Prompts From an Art Therapist in Denver
If you’re craving more support or guidance, my free Therapeutic Art Guidebook is full of prompts, reflection questions, and creative sparks designed to help you reconnect with yourself—especially in seasons of overwhelm, transition, or healing.
Ready for More Support?
And if you’d like to explore this work more deeply, I’d love to support you. As an art therapist in Denver, I offer individual therapy, groups, and creative workshops that help women and moms slow down, process their emotions, and feel more like themselves again.
You’re invited to book a free 15-minute clarity session to see if art therapy is the right next step for you. Whether you're just getting started or returning to your creative roots, you don’t have to do it alone.
