A Conversation With Dr. Elizabeth Warson On Art Journaling
I had the honor of speaking with Dr. Elizabeth Warson about the profound benefits of art journaling. As a seasoned art therapist and expressive arts therapist, Dr. Warson has extensive experience working with Native American communities and serves as senior faculty with the Trauma-Informed Practices and Expressive Arts Therapy Institute. One of the few studies conducted on art journaling was supervised by Elizabeth, solidifying her status as an expert in this field.
During her tenure at George Washington University, Elizabeth required her students to keep an art journal as part of their coursework. It was through grading these journals that she began to recognize the immense potential of art journaling. The insights and perspectives revealed through her students' art journals provided a depth of understanding that written assignments alone could not achieve.
Curious about her personal connection to the practice, I asked Elizabeth if she keeps art journals herself. Her enthusiastic response was, “Oh, yes!” She shared that her journey began with sketchbooks, which eventually evolved into more thematic art journals. She enjoys creating smaller, themed journals, finding great satisfaction in the process.
Given that many art therapists incorporate art journaling into their clients' therapeutic practices, I inquired whether Elizabeth does the same. She affirmed this with a definitive nod, emphasizing that art journaling is a key component of her work. When I asked her the question that drives my own research—“Why is art journaling beneficial?”—Elizabeth explained, “It has to do with combining written expression with our visual sense.” In an article on GoodTherapy.com, she discusses one of her studies, which shows that brief art-making can lead to lower cortisol levels and improved immunity—benefits that extend to art journaling.
Dr. Warson also highlighted several reasons why she encourages her clients to keep an art journal:
Documenting Takeaways: Art journaling provides a way to capture the important insights and tools gained from a session, helping to reinforce these lessons.
Memory Enhancement: By documenting these takeaways, art journaling aids in memory retention, allowing the brain to better remember beneficial tools.
Tracking Progress: An art journal serves as a visual record of your progress, offering a snapshot of your current state and a guide for where you want to go.
My conversation with Dr. Warson reaffirmed what I’ve long known about art journaling: it has numerous healing benefits and is a powerful tool that can enhance self-care for everyone.
