Art can be a powerful tool to support your mental, emotional, physical and spiritual well-being. Think of the last time you saw your favourite movie, listened to an emotional song, visited an art gallery or witnessed a spoken word performance. What stayed with you, and how did you feel? Whether you’re creating or observing it, art can help to reduce stress, promote creativity and boost your mood.
Here, Kids Help Phone shares artwork created by four young artists involved with Leadership by Design, a program that provides leadership development opportunities to youth of Black and African-Canadian heritage. Scroll through the visual art here while learning more about each artist’s process and connection to wellness. You can revisit this page whenever you need to take a break and relax. It may even inspire you to create art of your own!
Artist name: Vanessa Wright
We suggest you play Vanessa’s video of soothing music while you enjoy the rest of this page!
How does creating and enjoying art support your wellness?
“Creating and enjoying art has always been an act of mindfulness for me. I would consider it a safe space to let everything go and be present. With there being so many different forms of art today, it’s an easy and satisfying escape from reality.”
Pictured: Vanessa’s photography
Pictured: Vanessa’s photography
Artist name: Daeja Sutherland
Pictured: Daeja’s art
How does creating and enjoying art support your wellness?
“I find that making and learning about art is a great way to get out of my head. It’s such a complicated and engaging field, it can serve as a reminder that the world has so much beauty in it and unique stories to offer.”
Pictured: Daeja’s art
Artist name: Abigail McAnuff
How does creating and enjoying art support your wellness?
“When reflecting on my process for creating my art pieces I can truly say that it has become a natural outlet for me. Whether acrylic paint or charcoal, each art piece I create has helped me handle stressful days or moments of temporary anxiety. As I design and develop each idea, I learn how to set what has been bothering me aside, even for a moment, in order to clearly choose what to incorporate into each piece.”
Pictured: Abigail’s art
“Art has become a meaningful way for me to support both my mental health and wellness, as I find it to be a means through which I can express myself fully. Without the pressure of constantly obtaining perfection, visual art has taught me to acknowledge the mistakes and unneeded strokes or lines I create, and see how the aspects of the art that I deem as a blemish may still enhance the overall design.”
Pictured: Abigail’s art
Artist name: Aleyah Richards
How does creating and enjoying art support your wellness?
“Creating/enjoying art supports my wellness because it’s a healthy outlet to express myself. Through art I can make peace with pain and beauty out of hardship. The action of getting zoned into art also helps release inner tension at times.”
Pictured: Aleyah’s art
Taking care of your mind and body is unique to you, and art may be just one of many tools in your self-care routine. If this virtual art gallery has inspired you to get creative yourself, try out our mindfulness colouring book, journaling activity or music stress buster! If you’d like support for your wellness or anything on your mind, Kids Help Phone’s professional counsellors and volunteer crisis responders are available 24/7 to listen and help, too.
Kids Help Phone would like to thank the youth artists and team at Leadership by Design for their creativity and contributions to this story!
