Ep 89: Using Art Therapy Exercises for Stress Relief with Susan Day

We’ve been drawing on cave walls longer than we’ve been talking. That little fact alone hints at just how primal and healing art can be.In this episode, I’m joined by mindful arts coach, author, and app developer Susan Day for a conversation that is full of heart, color, and quiet revelation. We explore the healing power of creativity, not as something performative or polished, but as a deeply personal and cathartic practice. Whether it's a crayon on the back of an envelope or a full-blown collage session, Susan shows us how creativity can become a gentle companion for navigating stress, anxiety, and even trauma.We talk about why you don’t need to be an artist to benefit from art therapy, what’s really happening in your body and brain when you create from the heart, and how simple rituals can help you come home to yourself. It’s a soulful and spark-filled conversation that just might inspire you to pick up a pencil or tear up a magazine page.Topics Covered:Why the process of creating matters more than the final result.How mindful art practices can soothe the nervous system.The neuroscience of creativity and why it bypasses the need for words.Collage, color, sculpture, and how each medium supports different emotions.Susan’s personal story of discovering art therapy through both grief and joy.How to use rituals to enter a creative mindset.The surprising emotional power of tearing paper or scribbling with a crayon.Why Susan developed a therapy app and how technology can support healing.Here are some actions you can take, whether you have 5 minutes or 50:If you have 5 minutes, sign up for Susan’s newsletter called the Soulful Spark. You’ll get a free art therapy activity each week, and she is generously sharing a free copy of her book, Rekindling Your Souful Spark, which is not available anywhere else.https://mindfulartstherapy.com.au/download-your-free-guide-to-healing-today/If you have 50 minutes, I invite you to check out Susan’s other brainchild, the Art Therapy App, which is an absolutely genius resource and user-friendly platform for creative expression.https://mindfulartstherapy.com.au/the-art-therapy-app/Connect with Susan!Website: https://mindfulartstherapy.com.au/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mindfulartstherapy Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mindfulartstherapy/Instagram (app): https://www.instagram.com/thearttherapyre ______________________Contact French Kissing Life PodcastDM us at @shawnnarstiver on Instagram or FacebookConnect with Shawnna Stiver on LinkedInEmail us at [email protected] Until next time, muah! ______________________French Kissing Life is sponsored by Ampersand Copy and Content. Ready to convert browsers into buyers? If you want to master your messaging, stand out in a saturated market and become a crushed-on, go-to brand, contact us today!Website: https://ampersandcopyandcontent.com/Email: [email protected]