Video Blog: Therapeutic Creativity for Feelings

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Throughout our day, as we are responding to what we are experiencing in our lives, emotions surface. Many adults have learned to suppress feelings in order to function socially or to navigate the realities of adult life. Many of us were taught that certain emotions are not okay. Often, we mirror the ways that our caregivers express (or repress) emotions. Reacting to or suppressing emotions often leads to problems within ourselves (i.e. affects our mental health) or interpersonally.

One aspect of our mental health is how we experience and express our emotions. Here are four words that represent the ways I use my creativity to process my emotions:

1. Experiencing
2. Externalizing
3. Expressing
4. Exploring

When we first use creativity therapeutically, we can become aware of what we are experiencing. When we are feeling, what is happening in our thoughts? When we are feeling, what is happening in our bodies? This can help us fully be present in our emotions. Instead of repressing, we are paying curious attention to our experience.

Externalization is an important benefit of using creativity therapeutically. It allows you to look at your feelings with more perspective. If you write a poem, make art, create a dance piece – the creative piece becomes your emotions externalized. Your experience is brought from within you to outside yourself, adding some objectivity.

When we use creativity to express our feelings, we are creating a therapeutic space to provide catharsis – an emotional release. This can be done through writing, art making, movement or other forms of creativity. Specific therapeutic activities match well for specific emotions. For example, working with clay can be a great way to work out anger as it is very tactile and allows for some force to be used against it.

I use journaling daily to explore my feelings. Emotions are sometimes difficult for me to express in the moment so if I can explore them afterwards, express some of what I am experiencing, I can move towards any action I might need to take. I need this dialogue with myself. Other people explore emotions differently. Lots of people express and explore emotions directly in the moment whatever is happening, although many people often use creativity as a way to deepen understanding about what they are experiencing.

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I struggle articulating and expressing anger. I don’t like to hurt people but anger is not a bad emotion. In fact, skillful anger looks like good boundaries, expressing when one’s hurt or fighting injustice in the world. Our anger tells us something if we are willing to listen. Some people react and express anger quickly. Others suppress anger and it comes out through distancing or in tears. I totally relate to that. Here is a therapeutic poem I wrote from one part of myself to another giving some guidance while I was sitting with my anger:

When Your Heart is Closed

When your heart is closed
let it close more.
Lean into protection,
your anger, your fear
and surround it with acceptance.

Whatever your heart needs -
space, a voice on a page,
an ear to receive, a quiet day -
give it.

Do not push for resolution
until you can breathe,
until your heart feels relief,
and finds its wings.

When your heart is closed
let it be closed more.
Listen close for the sound of an 
opening door - 
just remember now
that you don't know
which door will open.

Meegan Simpson-Cooke © 2025

This poem invites me to just let the anger be and find ways to take care of myself with it. It also lets me know that I might not know where my anger is leading me in terms of any changes I need to make. This poem’s purpose is not to be a “good” poem but rather a healing one.

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Each person has their own relationship to their emotions. Our mental health is likely to be affected when we don’t allow ourselves to feel our emotions. When we can’t process how we feel or express it in the moment, anxiety and depression can occur over time. It can be difficult as adults if we have shame or fear over how we feel or what reaction we will get from others when we share our feelings.

Therapeutic art can be a way of not only exploring and understanding our feelings. but a tool to express safely some of the stored emotion. Often we can come to find a path forward through our creative process.

It is important to note that sometimes we need to do our therapeutic art with a trained art therapist because some of the feelings are linked to deep trauma and we need someone skilled to help guide us through.

Here are some of my basic values/beliefs around feelings…

• it’s okay to have feelings even ones that we think are wrong
• it can be very helpful to use therapeutic art to understand and explore our feelings
• it is important not to suppress emotions because often there are repercussions of not having a process with your emotions – i.e. physical or mental health problems
• we can learn to use our feelings skillfully to address needs, and boundaries
• we can use our feelings to become more vulnerable and authentic and this will strengthen relationships that are receptive to it
• it can sometimes be difficult holding another person’s emotions, especially if they are processing a lot of past trauma and complex issues. It’s okay to have boundaries for other people’s emotional processing like it would be okay if another person had boundaries about your emotional process.

What are your beliefs and values around processing your emotions?

Wishing you all a good couple weeks 💚 Meegan

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