Module 3a of “Using the Arts to Create Joy & Connection”

Activities to Start With - Introduction

Welcome to Module 3a! In this module, I am going to introduce you to 3 fun, simple & creative activities to help open the mind & heart to get those creative juices flowing more easily. Each activity has its own video, list of materials, and full transcript you can download and print. The activities are ideal for individuals or groups. I would love to know what kind of results you get, so please share in the comments section at the end of this Module.

Watch the video above. The text below, is a transcript of what you’ll see and hear in the video.

I encourage you to try out the activities yourself, before introducing them to your loved one or client. You’ll be more comfortable with the process and you’ll have first hand experience of how each activities affects your feelings of wellbeing. If you don’t have great success the first time you try, either for yourself or with others, give it another try on another day. Remember the whole “resistance to art-marking” situation we talked about in Module 2? Your client or loved one may feel a bit resistant the first time they’re exposed to new art-based activities, so you may need to be a little patient and persistent. Other factors, such as how they’re feeling on any given day can also affect their interest and willingness to engage.

Many people are simply not in the habit of allowing themselves to be playful. It can be perceived as “silliness” and they feel awkward and resistant to looking silly. Many people are brought up with the belief that to be silly is to be immature, irresponsible and indulgent - that silliness is a bad quality. That’s a lot of ingrained beliefs to meet face on, so please take it slow if you need to.

I personally didn’t grow into my own “silliness” until I became a mother. As my children’s first playmate in life, I had a few things to learn. I’m blessed with a very good imagination, and I soon realized that imagination and playfulness are ideal partners. Being a naturally curious person, as I became more playful in my own adult life, I started researching the importance of play for adults. I had no idea that playfulness, laughter (and silliness) all play an important role in the scientific study of psychoneuroimmunology, more commonly known as the mind-body connection. The study of psychoneuroimmunology has contributed to the understanding that physical, mental and spiritual stresses have a negative effect on our biochemistry and physiology. And all of the systems within our bodies are connected to each other. So if stress is wreaking havoc within a particular system - perhaps the brain, stomach, or nervous system; all of your systems are being affected by the effects of stress. Extensive scientific research studies also reveal that, “over long periods of time, nourishing elements - such as love, humour, wonder, curiosity, passion, forgiveness, giving, sharing, hope, enthusiasm, and joy - stimulate the immune system. They help our bodies fight infection, stimulate natural killer cells that fight cancer, and affect the general way we care about and for ourselves and others.” That is a quote from Dr. Patch Adams. At the end of this module, I’m including a list of some of my favourite resources pertaining to play and laughter. All of these resources and the people who wrote them, have been a big influence in my life and the choices I’ve made along the way.

Speaking of the choices I’ve made, going back to my years as a mom with 3 young children, one thing lead to another in my quest to learn about playfulness. As a stay-at-home mom, I still needed to supplement our family income, so I chose to train and start my own business as a birthday party clown. As you can imagine, that greatly expanded my views and approach to playfulness with a healthy sprinkle of silliness thrown in. Since then, I’ve become a huge advocate for the use of puppets and puppet making! Sock puppets are a wonderful outlet for silliness! I got my certification as a therapeutic laughter leader and an expressive arts practitioner, and continue to absorb anything I can learn, about anything that helps to balance the seriousness of our lives.

So - let’s get to it! I’ll meet you in the activity videos coming up next.