Our goal was to offer a different way of addressing the problem of stress which is often addressed in an analytical way that helps understand the causes. This is only half of solution. Also needed is a way to deal with stress and built resilience. Here Art therapy is useful. It allows people to unlock hidden emotions and confront them through introspection and discussion. In this way it is closer to transformative learning that relies on achieving positive change (way of thinking about and coping with problems). We aimed to present this ability of art therapy in a practical toolkit that can be used with only short-time preparation by adult educators with at least basic motivation to address topics of mental well-being. We aim to: - improve the capacity, skills and knowledge of partner organizations, adult educators and stakeholders to address negative effects of stress and other negative effects of daily life on mental health and well-being of adult learners. - offer a high-quality resource suitable for informal/non-formal learning, accessible to all as artistic talent is not needed - strengthen resilience to stress and crisis coping mechanisms of (vulnerable) adults and improve their mental health and well-being as a result
We applied the project to combat the negative effects of constant crisis (wars, migrations, pandemics, fake news, fearmongering) and high-tempo life on mental health and well-being of (vulnerable) people. We see art therapy as a fun, creative and inclusive activity that helps people cope with emotional and mental stress caused by negativity we encounter daily in all areas of life. The needs addressed: - need to offer (vulnerable) adults an inclusive and engaging activity for combating stress due to negative news, information and pressures of daily life and building resilience to these negative influences - need of the partner organizations and the adult education sector and beyond for more practical high-quality learning resources and learning opportunities - promotion of importance to address mental health and well-being in the frame of adult education, informal education, lifelong learning for diverse groups of students.