Creative Therapy: Be Unique Art Prompt + Reflection

Art prompts are one of my favorite ways to get myself unstuck because they give me just enough structure to begin without telling me what the finished piece has to look like. When I’m staring at a blank page, a simple art prompt can be the little nudge I need to stop overthinking and start making—cutting, painting, layering, scribbling, experimenting. I also love that prompts invite play and curiosity, which is where so much good work comes from. They’re a reminder that showing up matters more than being “good,” and that sometimes the quickest way to find your voice is simply to start.

---

The Art Prompt

Creative Therapy is a community blog centered around art as a form of personal exploration/therapeutic practice. Each month an art prompt is offered up as a starting point. The prompt this month is:

Describe a family keepsake you have or hope to have.

---

What I Made

I made this mixed-media painting in response to that prompt:

It’s a mixture of acrylic paint and Neocolor II water soluble crayons.

And my favorite part is that I painted it on top of the beginnings on an idea that just didn’t work out! It’s okay to paint over stuff!

---

Why I Made It

I couldn’t think of a physical thing that I wanted, something that stood head-and-shoulders above everything else. But I am very clear on the emotional gift my family gave me, one that I carry with me every day and hope to pass on to my future children: it’s okay to be unique. It’s okay to be exactly who you are and let your freak flag fly. The people who love you will still love you, and the people who don’t…well, they were never really meant to be your people.

In a funny way, I literally carry that reminder with me every day because my middle name (Fei-Fan) means unique in Chinese.

Being unique is really about being authentic—being true to yourself—and that isn’t always easy. But this painting is a good reminder to me to keep walking to the beat of my own drummer.

---

Try an Art Prompt for Yourself!

Check out all the other awesome responses to this creative prompt right here. And if you want to try an art prompt yourself, and this one isn’t speaking to you, here’s a list of 10 art prompts to try today:

1. Create something that feels like “you.” (Your colors, your marks, your vibe.)
2. Use only 2 colors and make it interesting with texture and contrast.
3. Make a page inspired by a word (ex: “brave,” “quiet,” “messy,” “spark”).
4. Draw or paint the same object 5 different ways.
5. Start with a collage background and build a painting on top of it.
6. Use a pattern you love (stripes, dots, grids, florals) as the foundation.
7. Make art using only leftovers (scraps, old papers, paint drips, “mistakes”).
8. Create a piece with one bold shape as the main focus.
9. Do a “bad art” page on purpose — messy, fast, no fixing allowed.
10. Illustrate a feeling without using any recognizable objects.

Thanks for stopping by!