Expressive Arts Exercise - Using Clay to Create Your Fantasy Creature

Posted on May 18, 2010 by Gabrielle Javier-Cerulli

Using clay for yourself and/or with your clients is a wonderful and centering tactile expressive arts experience. The coolness of this organic, earthy substance in one's hands is quite calming. The clay can be molded, squeezed, manipulated, pounded, thrown, imprinted upon, rolled, sprayed, cut, and so much more. It is not surprising that working with clay can be great for stress release.

This exercise is from the book, "Therapy Techniques: Using the Creative Arts" by Ann Argé Nathan and Suzanne Mirviss.

Create A Fantasy Creature

Ask participants to imagine themselves as a creature and make that creature with the clay. Encourage each person to describe his/her creature or have it "speak" to the group. Ask each person to be his/her creature and introduce him/herself as "I am..." and/or to speak about what it's like to be that creature.

Variation: Ask group members to imagine themselves as an object or symbol (e.g. star, tree, mountain) and create that image in clay. Continue as above by having each person in the group introduce him/herself, for example, "I am the star burning inside, too hot to get close to..."

This exercise can be used with children, teens, adults, and seniors as long as they have movement in their hands and fingers.

If you're working with adults who are trying to find their life purpose, you could ask them to create the object that symbolizes success to them. Then have them speak from or about that symbol.

I think this exercise would be fantastic with children. I can already hear their creative answers. I'm guessing this would be best for kids 9 and older (4th grade). If you think kids younger than this could do it, please let me know or leave a comment.

As for seniors, this could be a chance for them to create their "Legacy Creature" or "Legacy Symbol" - what do they want to remembered as?