BROOKVILLE, Ind. — Frankin County non-profit Stayin Alive will launch the free workshop series, “Creativity Can Save Your Life: Practical Art Tools for Mental Health and Resilience” on September 19th to give residents practical creative arts tools designed to help them respond to and process crisis, trauma, mental health challenges, and difficult life events like the recent area flooding.
The series is made possible by a grant from the Indiana Arts Commission.
The series will feature three two-hour Saturday workshops, each designed for a specific audience and held at the Franklin County Community Foundation building, located at 527 Main Street, Brookville.
Three Workshops Using Creativity for Mental Health
Saturday September 19th , 10am-12pm-- For Parents: “Creativity Can Save Your Child’s Life: Practical Art Tools for Mental Health and Resilience.” The first workshop will serve parents, helping them understand the impact of crisis events like the recent flooding and mental health challenges on children and families. It will introduce simple and effective creative tools that can support processing, coping, and resilience at home. The workshop is free.
Saturday October 11th, 10am-12pm—For Children: “Creativity Can Save Your Life: Practical Art Tools for Mental Health and Resilience.” The second workshop will focus on children ages 6 to 12. A parent or caregiver will be asked to attend with each child so they can learn how to guide the creative process at home. Children will be introduced to fun, age-appropriate ways to work through feelings and experiences that may be weighing on them, and families will receive follow-up materials to continue the exercises beyond the workshop. The workshop is free.
Saturday November 7th , 10am-12pm—For Teens and Adults: “Creativity Can Save Your Life: Practical Art Tools for Mental Health and Resilience.” The third workshop will focus on teens and adults and will walk participants through several creativity-based self-care techniques. Participants will learn how art and creativity can help them respond to stress, improve quality of life, and build resilience through simple tools they can return to when problems arise. The workshop is free.
Stayin Alive Workshop Series: “Creativity Can Save Your Life: Practical Art Tools for Mental Health and Resilience” (continued)
Facilitator
The workshops are facilitated by author and artist J. Scott McElroy (How to CARE) in collaboration with Stayin Alive Director Bethany Luers. McElroy is based in Indianapolis and is trained in therapeutic art and trauma-informed care. Although he often works with faith-based topics, these workshops will not be faith-based and are open to all. The workshops will also include a local licensed social worker and a local artist assistant.
Contact Scott for content details: Scott@TheNewR.org
Workshop Content
Exercises for the workshops were developed by art therapy professionals and will be adapted for each audience. The creative activities are designed to help participants connect with and process feelings, their bodies, and the surrounding environment. The exercises are appropriate for basic therapeutic use by parents, children, adults, and teens. They are not intended to provide clinical diagnosis or treatment.
Each participant receives take-home materials with exercises they can continue using. The goal is to help residents build a habit of recognizing when they need to process difficult experiences and turning to simple creative practices as a healthy coping tool.
Why Creativity for Mental Health?
Research shows that engagement with the arts and creativity can support people facing crisis, trauma, and mental health challenges in a variety of ways. Art-making activities can help reduce stress, including the stress hormone cortisol, while making or viewing art can stimulate feel-good brain chemicals such as dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin, helping people feel calmer, more connected, and better supported.
Location
The free workshops will be held at the Franklin County Community Foundation building, located at 527 Main Street, Brookville, Indiana 47012.
About Stayin Alive
Stayin Alive serves Franklin County by educating residents about substance abuse, its causes, and its effects, while working to build a safer, healthier, and more resilient community.
Media Contact:
Bethany Luers, Director, Stayin Alive
(765) 647-SASA (7272)
bethanyluers@stayinalive24.org