Art Therapy in the Summertime

☀️ Art Therapy in the Summertime: Healing in the Sunshine

Summer invites us to slow down, stretch out, and soak in the sunshine. It's a season of possibility—where long, golden days meet the natural urge to wander, play, and express ourselves more freely. It’s also a perfect time to take art therapy outside, allowing the outdoors to become part of the healing process.

🌿 Why Summer is a Natural Fit for Art Therapy

We often think of therapy as something that happens indoors—in an office or at a desk—but healing thrives in the warmth and wildness of summer. When we bring art therapy outdoors, we tap into more than just creative expression—we engage our senses, bodies, and the natural world.

🌞 Sunshine & Vitamin D

Spending time in the sun (safely and with sunscreen) allows our bodies to produce vitamin D, which is essential for our physical and mental health. Vitamin D supports mood regulation, immunity, and energy levels. For many of us, longer days and extra sunlight can gently lift depressive symptoms and motivate us to try new things.

Art-making outdoors becomes more than just an activity—it’s a full-body experience. You’re not just painting a flower; you’re hearing bees buzz, feeling the breeze, and soaking in the light.

🏞 Take Your Art Supplies on an Adventure

You don’t need a studio to create meaningful art. Some of the best art therapy happens on a beach blanket, a forest stump, or sitting barefoot in the grass. Try packing a portable art kit and heading to:

🏖 The Beach – Paint with watercolors while listening to waves. Make mandalas with driftwood, shells, or seaweed.

🌲 The Forest – Use leaves, moss, bark, and found objects to create eco-art. Press ferns between journal pages.

🌼 A Meadow or Park – Sketch flowers in bloom. Try nature rubbings with crayons and leaves.

🛶 By a Lake or River – Draw reflections on the water or paint using river water for an added connection.

The outdoors removes some of the pressure to make “perfect” art. Nature is already full of messy beauty and impermanence—your art can be too.

🎨 Art Therapy Activities to Try Outdoors

Here are a few gentle art therapy prompts designed for summer days:

1. Nature Collage

Collect leaves, petals, and twigs on a walk. Arrange them into a shape that reflects how you’re feeling—maybe a heart, a spiral, or a storm cloud. Take a photo to preserve the image.

2. Shadow Tracing

Place objects (or even your own hand) on a page and trace their shadows in the sun. Observe how the shapes shift as the light moves. What else in your life is shifting right now?

3. Watercolor in the Wild

Bring a small watercolor set and paint what you see—but don’t aim for realism. Instead, focus on the emotions or sensations of the place: how the sky feels, how the air smells, what memories arise.

4. Land Art Meditation

Create an ephemeral piece using only natural materials found on the ground—stones, pinecones, sand. Think of it as a temporary offering to the earth. Let it be imperfect. Let it go.

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🌞 The Benefits of Outdoor Art Therapy

Sensory engagement: The outdoors activates all five senses, enhancing emotional regulation.

Grounding: Sitting or standing on the earth literally grounds your nervous system.

Freedom & play: Open spaces often invite more spontaneous, playful art-making.

Connection: Making art outside reminds us that we are part of something bigger, and not alone in our experience.

Summer is a time of growth, bloom, and brightness—externally and internally. Art therapy during this season is a chance to reflect that energy back into your own life. You don’t need fancy supplies or formal training. Just step outside, pay attention, and let your hands follow what your heart is feeling.

Let the sun be your studio light. Let the wind carry away your inner critic. Let the earth hold you as you create.

Your creativity is natural.

Your healing is allowed.

And summer is a beautiful place to begin.