Participant Creations
Our Story
Our Mission is to support emotional healing through art & creative expression for those living in pain, grief, fear or stress. Art and Creativity for Healing is a 501(c3) nonprofit organization.
We give pain a voice and meaning by providing expressive abstract art workshops to support emotional healing. We’re different from other art programs. Our Art4Healing® curriculum contains strictly guided exercises, rather than loosely formatted art sessions. These exercises are specially designed to elicit emotional responses. Participants leave encouraged, with enhanced clarity and insight. Our Art4Healing Workshops are offered to the public and through community programs. They have helped tens of thousands of men, women, and children give their pain a voice through paint, color, and self-expression.
Our Founder, Laurie Zagon, has facilitated Art & Creativity For Healing workshops since 1985. Using her method of Art4Healing®, she has helped thousands of children and adults use paint to process stress, illness, or grief in hospitals, through local and national nonprofit community organizations, and at studio workshops in Orange County. The Zagon method of Art4Healing® was initially developed in New York in 1987 to help busy Wall Street executives conquer stress.
All about Art4Healing:
A Special 20th Anniversary Message:
In Their Words
Read what people say about how Art4Healing Workshops helped them overcome their pain or difficulty.
I Released Tension
Doing these exercises made me realize I have gotten away from art and doing creative things – it helped me to release some tension with all the difficult things going on.
Costa Mesa FRC Participant
We Overcame Grief
“I wanted to thank you very much for the wonderful experience Jeff and especially Logan had yesterday at your Art Studio. I spoke to Jeff this morning, he said that yesterday was the most that little Logan had opened up since his mom passed away. Thank you again.”
Alexandra B.
I Want to Help Others
Painting made me realize how much I like to help others and it makes me feel good. I want to help people as much as I can.
Kid Works OC Participant
No Pressure to Share
This workshop allows you to get it all out without pressure. It is very refreshing. It helps to be surrounded by those who also need it.
Wounded Warrior Participant
My Paintings are Eye Opening
My paintings are eye-opening. They help me see how my depression, sadness, and challenges are taking over my life and artwork. They give me perspective of how overwhelming the bad things in my life are right now.
Wounded Warrior Participant
I Acknowledged Feelings
Art4Healing has helped me overcome and acknowledge feelings I didn’t know I had. I like that I can display all of my emotions. I’ve learned that painting helps so much with understanding myself.
Raging Colors Participant
Truly a Blessing
Coming to Art4Healing is truly a blessing. I am able to express my feelings in a way that I am limitless.
Wounded Warrior Participant
A Huge Relief
After hearing everyone share their stories, I felt compelled to share mine in this safe place. I have never shared these feelings with anyone before and it is a huge sense of relief for me.
Wounded Warrior Participant
Relaxed and Open Minded
Thank you very much to all donors for having this art class for us here at OC Rescue Mission. I really enjoyed taking this class. It opens up my mind to think of things and it relaxes me. Thanks a lot again.
OC Rescue Mission Participant
I Made Peace
“These workshops have been life-changing. I was mad at him, the world, the Church, and God. It is here in the workshop I made peace and can move on. Thank you to the instructor.”
-Participated in the weekly Human Option Shelter Art4Healing workshop
John
Extremely Helpful
This workshop was extremely helpful in opening me up to my emotions and allowing myself to be vulnerable. I never imagined art would make me open up to my emotions.
La Habra Family Resource Center Participant
I Learned to Let Go
Amazing class. Helped me to express myself and open up. Taught me how to let go and allow my self to make mistakes. Without this class, I would still be stuck in my black isolated hole.
CPL Vanesia
It’s So Easy
I am amazed by how easy the process was for me and I felt a sense of relief to share my feelings in a non-judged artistic way.
Wounded Warrior Participant
Opened Up to a Second Chance
I really loved how this class opened me up and I could express so much gratitude. It helped me realize I have a second chance to be a better mom and live a clean and sober life for my son.
Minnie St. Family Resource Center Participant
Easier Than Talking
I’m not good at talking about my feelings or sharing them with others, but it was much easier to paint them, see them, and then verbalize them.
Wounded Warrior Participant
Seniors Can Share Too
I think this is a great opportunity for seniors to express their feelings and talk it out. Usually, it’s hard for seniors to get a chance to share feelings. This is the best opportunity, very helpful, and meaningful. I’m grateful for this class.
Costa Mesa FRC Council on Aging-St. Joe’s Heritage Center Participant
Hopeful for My Dream
This workshop about hope made me feel so much better and hopeful for my future dream to have a house of my own and for my kids someday.
OC Rescue Mission Participant
Things are Looking Up
I did this same workshop when I first came to Regina House and my paintings were dark and full of black. I am amazed to see my paintings tonight so bright and full of color – I really think I am getting better, things are looking up for me in my life and my paintings show it!
Regina House Participant
There’s Still Happiness
I learned by doing this painting that there is still happiness in my life, it’s not all bad like I sometimes think – I can see good too.
Human Options Participant
Give a Healing Art Box today!
Come and Join Us
Experiencing a hardship? Want to help others work through difficulties? Looking for a great cause to support? You've come to the right place. There are lots of ways to participate in Art4Healing and to give pain a voice and meaning with art.
Paint
Take a workshop! We offer workshops through more than 35 partner agencies, and offer weekend workshops at our Laguna Hills studio. Or, take an online course.
Teach
Want to teach? We offer a University accredited program and International Online Certification, designed for a wide variety of professionals. Learn how you can share our Art4Healing® method.
Volunteer
Get involved! Support Art & Creativity for Healing and serve together by joining the HeARTs for Healing Women's Guild, or volunteer to be a fundraising leader.
Go Live with Art4Healing®
An online Art4Healing® LIVE Workshop allows you to experience the Art4Healing method in a group and interact with a certified facilitator, just like you would in a classroom setting.
Now, you can experience the power of healing art wherever you are!
