Get Your Spark Back: 5 Art Journal Activities For too-tired-to-think Moms

From stuck to finding your spark with art journaling.

Stand-up comedian Ali Wong said: “When you’re a mom, you need sparkle to compensate for the light inside of you that has died.”

So many of my clients contact me for this very reason. They feel like all they do is “mom” and research and scroll searching for all the ways they need to improve to be a “good” mom.

Signs that you need to try art journaling as a mom instead of scrolling the night away:

• You don't want your emotions to blow up, so you hold it all together, feeling pent up and tense (and then if you do blow up, you feel like a "bad" mom).

• You're "just" getting through the day, feeling disconnected and on autopilot.

• Since having kids, you don't do anything for yourself, thinking, "Is all I am now?".

• You feel guilty for leaving kids with perfectly capable partners/caregivers to pursue anything outside of motherhood.

• Your mind is so loud trying to remember to implement all the strategies, scripts, and "right" mother practices.

If this resonates, I've got five art journal ideas for you to try.

Before that, I want to share a story about one of my clients who used creativity to rediscover her spark.

Andrea was being crushed under the pressure of the mental load and being a “good and “right” mom/wife (doer of all things). She didn’t feel like herself, naming scrolling as a central part of her stress, comparison and self-judgement and yet she couldn’t stop from doing it (automatically and out of desperation for a break).

She asked me if this was a good enough reason to come to counselling.

I assured her that screen time is a central theme in my sessions and is a source of stress for many moms. I went on to say that scrolling was actually the solution (not the problem).

Relief washed over her, she was feeling guilty for scrolling to find an escape. Scrolling was serving her in some moments when she needed a very real escape from the daily grind of parenting but I explained that there are other ways to escape.

Before becoming a mother, she had enjoyed being creative and expressive, but now she felt restricted by her responsibilities feeling completely taped and on edge.

She wanted to explore creativity as a way to cope but found it challenging to do so on her own, especially after a long day of parenting. After following my work on Instagram for a few months, she decided to book a session with me.

We spent several sessions focused on helping her find her spark again. Together we worked through these 5 art journal exercises specifically designed to help tired moms like Andrea find their spark.

5 art journal exercises to help you find your spark as a tired mom

Note: If you want try these but don’t have the supplies, email me and I’ll send you a FREE heART kit from my own stash of magazines, stickers and paper bits!

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#1 The Stuck Place

1. Title the Page: Write “My Stuck Place” at the top of your journal page.

2. Write: Spend a few minutes brain-dumping everything that feels stuck right now. Let it all out without censoring yourself.

3. Create a Collage: Using magazines or newspapers, cut out images, words, or phrases that represent the feeling of your stuckness. Glue these images down in a way that makes sense to you. In the empty spaces, write six words that come to mind when looking at your image.

4. Reflect: Spend a few minutes reflecting on the exercise. Write a short paragraph about how creating this page has made you feel. Did you discover anything new about yourself? How do you feel now compared to when you started?

#2 The Emotion Tornado

1. Title the Page: Write “My Emotions” at the top of your journal page.

2. Write: Spend a few minutes brain-dumping everything that comes to mind when you think about your emotions. When you're done assign a color to each emotion you named/wrote about.

3. Create: Scribble, doodle, scratch, and draw out these emotions on a separate piece of paper. Then tear this paper into strips or pieces and swirl them onto the journal page, creating a tornado-like collage. Add layers to enhance the whirlwind effect.

4. Reflect: Reflect and journal about the intensity and chaos of your emotions. Write a few sentences about this experience.

#3 The Messy Middle

1. Title the Page: Write “Messy Middle” at the top of your journal page.

2. Write: Spend a few minutes brain-dumping everything that comes to mind when you think about moving from "stuck" to "sparkle".

3. Create: Collect small, meaningful objects from around your home (e.g., buttons, leaves, fabric scraps). Arrange these objects on a journal page, creating a scene or story. Use glue to secure the objects, and then add details with markers or pens to complete your page.

4. Reflect: Write a three-lined poem inspired by the scene you’ve created. Reflect on how it relates to your current feelings and experiences. Is there any message on the page about moving from stuck to spark?

#4 The Sparkly Place

1. Title the Page: Write “The Sparkly Place” at the top of your journal page.

2. Write: Spend a few minutes brain-dumping what your sparkly place would look like (it doesn't have to be an actual "place" it could just be the essence of what finding your spark, or sparkly would feel like to you).

3. Create: Using bright, neon or metallic markers, draw or doodle your spark and/or sparkly place. Focus on creating bold, striking marks that stand out against the background. This one can be really fun when you use a black or dark background.

4. Reflect: Reflect on how the contrast of the colour and empty spaces mirrors your own search for a spark amidst the stuck place.

#5 The Sparkle Album

1. Title the Page: Write “The Sparkle Album ” at the top of your journal page.

2. Write: Without overthinking it, make a list of songs you know or make up names of songs that would be on your sparkle album.

3. Create: Open your journal and draw, paint, or collage an album cover. Give the album a name and write a little bio or about section for the album.

4. Reflect: Write a few positive affirmations or encouraging statements that you can refer back to when feeling stuck.

5. Bonus: Create a playlist of songs that make you feel that spark and listen to it often!

Feeling inspired but don't have the "right" supplies? You have full permission to go rogue and art journal with the supplies you DO have. Don't let the supplies hold you back from expressing yourself.

If you're more particular about having the right stuff, I've got you covered. Check out this blog about the supplies I suggest you have in your at-home art therapy kit.

Art journaling is a powerful way to escape the demands of motherhood and express your emotions and stuckness.

By expressing your stuck feelings and juxtaposing them with symbols of spark, you might start to see new paths and possibilities.

Andrea found that simply watching my videos on "how to art journal" wasn't enough for her. She wanted to be unstuck as soon as possible, and trying to do it herself wasn't helping her find her spark.

If you feel the same way, I invite you to book a session with me, or another expressive art therapist in your region.

Until next time,

Kayla Huszar, Creative Counsellor and coach for Moms