The Art of Wellbeing, which is free to participating individuals, explores how creative expression leads to good health and how the act of being well is, in itself, an art form.
Mental Health Connecticut’s (MHC) Art of Wellbeing program was launched in 2023 and is an expansion of an internal program started in 2014 by MHC with Artist and MHC Wellness Manager Amy Smith. The Art of Wellbeing, which is free to participating individuals, explores how creative expression leads to good health and how the act of being well is, in itself, an art form. We believe the visual arts, dance, writing, music, theater, photography, and all areas of creativity can become an indispensable part of our lives and in connecting with others.
This connection generates hope, healing, resiliency, joy, and whatever one needs to activate wellbeing. Throughout our award-winning, trauma-informed program, we teach coping skills, provide tools, and increase awareness of mental health and available resources. Through the Art of Wellbeing, we aim to help individuals throughout Connecticut experience art as an outlet and method of healing.
All of our public offerings are brought to you by grantors and donors and are listed below. If you are interested in booking a workshop for your community, please contact us.
Young Adults and Adults (14+)
Statewide
Varies by Workshop
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MHC has partnered with The Hispanic Health Council (HHC) to bring MHC’s Art of Wellbeing programming into the HHC’s Family Wellness and Cultural Heritage Center. The Art of Wellbeing explores how creative expression leads to good health and how the act of being well is in itself an art form.
We offer free: visual art, music, dance, and writing workshops and an open studio for exploring your unique creative ideas.
Location: Hispanic Health Council’s Family Wellness Center
590 Park Street, Lower Level B, Hartford, CT 06106
Available to ages 16+
Our Art of Wellbeing Foundations is a customizable trauma-informed
workshop series. Learn More!
Upcoming Offerings: The Art of Wellbeing for Veterans and Their Families
Join us to find healing through creative expression. The weekly workshops are free for veterans and their families ages 16+. Participants will explore drawing, writing, movement, and more!
Location: The Homes for the Brave Annex, One Lafayette Circle,
Bridgeport, CT 06604
MHC’s Write On! program is designed for individuals who want to find their voice and share their truth through the healing power of writing and storytelling. Janet Reynolds is the lead instructor and creator of the Write On! Program. She is an award-winning writer, editor, and investigative journalist and holds a Masters in English Literature from Trinity College. Janet has written extensively about her family’s journey with schizophrenia.
Participants leave Write On! with advanced writing and storytelling skills, new ways to cope during times of emotional distress, and the confidence to share their story in a way that demystifies mental illness and ends stigma in their community.
Since 2016, Write On! has been offered at no cost to young adults in CT (ages 14-29). Participants have produced original pieces that we call “Telling Tales” at the end of each 9 week course. We record these performances and have shared them publicly on YouTube and Spotify.
Upcoming Offerings:
Discover Your Inner Writer is a six-week workshop designed to ignite the spark of creativity within participants. Led by experienced facilitators, the program guides budding writers through the process of storytelling while fostering a supportive and inclusive environment. Through weekly sessions, participants embark on a journey of self-discovery and skill development. From crafting compelling narratives to honing their writing routines, attendees are equipped with the tools they need to express themselves authentically.
Discover Your Inner Writer walks participants through setting up a writing practice, provides strategies for improving your writing, and includes writing prompts and exercises to help keep you motivated and improving.
Upcoming Offerings:
GROW (Gardening, Recovery, and Opportunities for Wellness) is a
skills building and wellness program that also grows healthy food.
Through GROW, we are improving the health, wellbeing, and work skills of our community while producing fresh vegetables, herbs, and plants for under-served communities in Connecticut’s urban areas. GROW activities include planting, tea bag making, flower pressing, herb drying, cooking, and healthy eating workshops.
GROW has greenhouse locations in Torrington and Bridgeport and outdoor gardens in Torrington and Waterbury. GROW is 100% natural and does not use any chemicals, pesticides, or insecticides.
Upcoming Offerings:
MHC, in partnership with the award-winning Justice Dance Performance Project, (JDPP), presents Moving Stories, an arts workshop designed to improve the mental health and wellness of individuals who have experienced trauma and/or a mental health condition.
Moving Stories is a free, fun, exploration of movement, writing and art! Through evidence-based approaches that use a combination of physical expression, visual arts, words, individual and group activities, and positive problem solving, Moving Stories promises to open up new avenues of healing that free up energy for constructive expression, relaxation, an improved sense of wellbeing, and a more grounded stance to face everyday life.
Upcoming Offerings:
Our Community Canvases are themed canvases that grow and
develop through the collaboration of community members. The intention of the Community Canvas is for the community to connect, share, and talk about Mental Health and the benefits of art to wellbeing.
Art of Wellbeing staff brings these canvases and art materials out to community, events or gatherings as an introduction to the Art of Wellbeing programs.Those who add to the canvases add a little bit of themselves. Everyone adds something unique.
Explore our directory of mental health and educational resources for access to holistic wellness and community support.
Our studio space was opened in partnership with The Hispanic Health Council at their (HHC) Family Wellness Center in Hartford. The HHC’s vision of ensuring Hispanics and other diverse populations reach their fullest potential and achieve a healthy and fulfilled life aligns with MHC’s vision of creating a future where wellbeing is rooted in respect for the condition of being human. Both organizations believe that fostering individual creative expression in safe, supportive spaces results in healthy, vibrant communities.
By submitting this form you are agreeing to receive communications from Mental Health Connecticut.
The standard Foundations Workshop series includes 8 weekly, 1-hour sessions. All materials are provided for participating individuals. Each week has a different focus with week one focusing on Self Portraits and Introductions. During the first session, we ask participants to draw an image of themselves that also incorporates 3-5 things about themselves and then share their drawing with the group.
The first session lays the groundwork for the following sessions, introducing discussion around emotions, how we see ourselves and introduce ourselves to others, and connection. Each subsequent session utilizes a different art form, builds upon the themes of the previous session, and continues the conversation around mental health and available resources.
The workshop series culminates with a showcase open to the public where participating individuals can enjoy some light refreshments, share their work, and come together to celebrate their progression and accomplishments.
By submitting this form you are agreeing to receive communications from Mental Health Connecticut.
By submitting this form, you are agreeing to communications from Mental Health Connecticut.
Interseted in booking a workshop? Fill out our form and we’ll be in touch!
By submitting this form you are agreeing to receive communications from Mental Health Connecticut.
Interseted in booking a workshop? Fill out our form and we’ll be in touch!
By submitting this form you are agreeing to receive communications from Mental Health Connecticut.
Interseted in bringing community canvases to your next event/gathering?
Fill out our form and we’ll be in touch!
By submitting this form you are agreeing to receive communications from Mental Health Connecticut.
