MAKING ART: Harnessing the Power of Creative Practice for Teenagers Living with Anxiety

With nearly one in three Australians aged 16-24 experiencing anxiety (Australian Bureau of Statistics [ABS], 2022), this research addresses a critical gap between mental health needs and available solutions for teenagers. With the demand for mental health support continuing to outpace resources, traditional support remains limited by wait times, cost barriers, and stigma, while creative arts offer a promising alternative for emotional expression, with research highlighting its role in stress reduction, mindfulness, and emotional regulation. This study investigates how structured creative arts practices could assist in alleviating anxiety and enhance wellbeing in teenagers, an underrepresented demographic in existing research. This focus is informed by my own lived experience supporting a teenager with an anxiety disorder, where I witnessed firsthand the calming and restorative effects of regular art-making. The research employs reflective practice as its methodology to explore the question: How can we use creative practice and art-making to help teenagers who suffer from anxiety? Through a two-phase methodology, the study first established a five-theme framework (Self-Identity, Tactility, Experimental Process, Scripted Process, and Sensory Perception) following the researchers own informative art exploration in tandem with a literature review analysing various art methods in therapeutic creative practice, identifying those most effective in reducing anxiety. The second phase involved developing and testing 20 specific art projects structured around these themes, with emphasis on the process rather than the final product. This was complemented by interviews with five professionals including counsellors, artists, and art therapists. Key findings identified seven effective visual art modalities including photography, drawing, clay work, collage, and painting, while highlighting limitations in scripted art- making, charcoal work, and virtual reality applications. The research culminates in the development of a Creative Arts Toolkit (CAT) - a hybrid, research-informed resource designed to deliver accessible, non-clinical creative practices directly to teenagers aged 13-19. Rather than being just a product or a static platform, the CAT functions as an ecosystem composed of two interconnected parts: a physical, subscription-based art box delivered to the home, and an integrated digital platform that hosts modular guide resources. Each individual art box contains all the necessary materials for the user-selected project -such as the “Paint to Sound” Box includes specific watercolours, brushes and paper, ranging in cost from $30 to $50. This physical experience is directly supported by the online platform, which provides modular video demonstrations, facilitator resources for parents and educators, and instructional guidance accessible via QR codes within each box. Ultimately the CAT is the primary research outcome of this study; it translates theoretical insights into a tangible, scalable framework that empowers users to customise their creative engagement based on their personal space, time and emotional needs. This study contributes to the growing arts health movement by providing non-clinical and accessible creative activities for Australian teenagers, their families, and schools. It addresses a gap in current mental health support systems for accessible and affordable resources, particularly in schools that lack the resources or specialist staff to implement specialist art programs themselves, while establishing a foundation for further research on the wellbeing benefits of creative arts practices for teenagers.