Favorite Books

This book is SO GOOD and is by Shaun McNiff. It is exactly as it sounds and is all about trusting yourself, your instincts, your decisions and the artmaking process in general. It's about letting go of our attacnments to the outcome of things and letting things be...following the flow and going with our inpulses. This was one of the first books I read in my expressive arts studies. Highly recommend if you're struggling to make something perfect or if you have a hard time getting started because you want to control the outcome.

Learn more about Shaun McNiff at this link: https://www.shaunmcniff.com/

I feel like this book is a staple in any creative person's life. If it isn't on their bookshelf, they've at least heard of it and probably read it. It's an awesome book that I learned about after my schooling. Julia Cameron has 2 things she does religiously, and those are morning pages & artist dates. If you're feeling stuck and need some inspiration check it out.

Learn more about Julia Cameron at this link: https://juliacameronlive.com/

This book is awesome (as are all the books on this page...because it's my handpicked list!) But this book is all about using art as a tool for self-discovery. Learning how we can engage in the creative process to shed light on our dreams, inner wisdom, inner visions and the deepest most authentic versions of ourselves. I had the opportunity to be Pat's partner at a workshop we both participated in and it was such an amazing experience.

Learn more about Pat Allen at this link: https://www.patballen.com/

I read this book during my training as well and thoroughly enjoyed it and got a lot out of the exercises. It is more of a program, where you can go through 12 weeks of different healing art activities and processes. It's written by a nurse (who also has her PhD) and a doctor who both experienced the healing forces of the creative process in their own lives and decided to create a program out of their own experiences and experiences working with others.

Learn more about Mary Rockwood Lane & Michael Samuels at these links: https://www.maryrockwoodlane.com/

https://www.michaelsamuels.com/main/

This is one of my favorite books on using guided meditations and visualizations in conjunction with expressive arts. Ganim has helped many, many people heal mind, body & spirit through transforming their inner & outer worlds with imagery and the imagination. The book is truly fascinating.

This is my other favorite book from Shaun McNiff in which he discusses his role as an art therapist and the parallels between modern day healing through the arts with that of shamanism. The arts can heal the soul by transforming our thoughts & inner world, which then affects the physical body; just as shamans use different rituals to heal others, we use the arts. This book was fascinating as it tied together my undergrad studies of anthropology & shamanism in with expressive arts. Truly had many "a-ha" moments with this book.

Learn more about Shaun McNiff at this link: https://www.shaunmcniff.com/

This is my other favorite book by Pat Allen and is all about using expressive arts as a spiritual tool. For me, my art journaling practice is quite spiritual, and this book helped me confirm that notion. There is something sacred about the images that come forth, often times from a deeper place than what we're able to comprehend. If you want to learn about diving into using the arts as a way to guide you in your journey, this is a good read.

Learn more about Pat Allen at this link: https://www.patballen.com/

This is the first of the art books (besides The Artist's Way) that isn't written by an expressive arts practitioner/therapist. I fell in love with Faith's paintings when I saw them and immediately wanted to learn more. This book offers more techniques for your creative practice rather than theories and studies.

Learn more about Faith Evans-Sills at the link below: https://www.faithevanssills.com/

This was one of the first books I read during my expressive arts studies and also one of my favorites, Natalie Rogers, who has since passed, was a pioneer in the field of expressive arts (specifically person-centered expressive arts) and believed that providing a safe a supportive space for people to engage in the arts as a healing practice could take people into a much deeper form of healing rather than solely talk therapy.

Learn more about Natalie Rogers at the link below: https://personcenteredexpressivearts.com/natalie-rogers

This was one of the first books I got on mandalas. I went through a phase before and during my training where I worked almost exclusively with mandalas. I used them as a meditative practice pretty much daily and am still fascinated with the symbolism and insight they provide. This book contains simple step-by-step exercises you can follow to learn how to create your own mandala art.

Learn more about Kathryn Costa at the link below: https://100mandalas.com/kathryn-costa/

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.