Creating a Feelings Card Art Deck: A Path to Emotional Understanding and Self-Expression
As a licensed mental health provider and art therapist, I often work with children, teens, and adults who grapple with struggles of overthinking, daydreaming, and nocturnal exploration. Today, I’m excited to share a creative and therapeutic tool that I believe can significantly enhance self-expression, emotional understanding, and communication: The Feelings Card Deck!
The process of creating the deck involves artistic activities like cutting out magazine pieces, painting, and decorating in your own unique style! This artistic expression allows individuals to explore and express their emotions creatively. By regularly using the card deck, individuals can develop a deeper understanding of their emotions. This heightened awareness can lead to better emotional regulation and coping strategies!
Why YOU CAN Create Your Own Feelings Card Deck!
I’ll tell you why! One of the first topics I like to cover in therapy, whether for children or adults, is expressing, understanding, and ACCEPTING our emotional experiences. Learning about emotions can be a way to do just that.
Stick with me here: More and more I am finding myself using this art therapy based intervention in sessions with clients, and giving them the tools and guidance to create their very own Feelings Card Deck! By providing a visual representation of emotions, this personalized deck of cards can:
Facilitate open dialogue: Children often struggle to articulate how they feel. By choosing cards that depict various emotions, kids can communicate their feelings more effectively (inside and outside of the therapy room). This can be particularly helpful in parent-child interactions, fostering better understanding and empathy!
Build emotional vocabulary: The deck can help expand a child’s emotional vocabulary. Instead of just “bad”, “fine,”, or “I don’t know”, kids learn to identify and articulate a range of emotions like “frustrated,” “elated,” or “anxious.”
Learn to express needs: Discovering our emotions helps us articulate our needs more clearly. When we understand how we feel, we gain insight into what we truly need. Helping kids and teens identify their emotions can boost their confidence in expressing themselves and create a safe space for them to ask for what they need.
Wait- Is This Just For Kids?
As an art therapist, I’ve seen firsthand how reconnecting with our inner child as an adult can be transformative. The inner child represents the part of ourselves that retains memories, emotions, and beliefs from our early years: both the joyful moments and the painful ones. Creating a feelings card deck can spark joy and nostalgia, helping adults to reconnect with playfulness while reflecting on their personal growth.
A feelings card deck can be a wonderful starting point for mindfulness and reflection. Here are a few ideas how teens + adults can use their Feelings Card Deck:
Journaling Prompts: Use the cards as prompts for journaling. Select a card and write about a time you felt that emotion, or explore how you can address that emotion in your life now.
Communicating with Partners and Friends: The deck can also help in conversations with partners or friends. Use the cards to discuss feelings and emotions in a structured yet open way.
Mindfulness Practice: Incorporate the cards into a daily mindfulness routine. Each day, draw a card and take a few moments to reflect on that emotion, focusing on its physical sensations and thoughts. This practice can deepen your emotional awareness and promote a more mindful approach to handling daily experiences.
Finding the BEST Feelings List
There’s lots of feelings inside of us- and if you do a simple Google search- there’s a TON of feelings list out there. So which one is the best?
Creating a feelings list does not have to pull from one list. I recommend looking at a few lists and picking emotions that you connect with often or want to learn more about. Here’s some website I use to find feelings as well as the list of emotion I recommend starting with when creating a Feelings Card Deck:
Plutchik’s Interactive Wheel of Emotions: https://www.6seconds.org/2022/03/13/plutchik-wheel-emotions/
Common Words for Physical Sensation: https://sensoryhealth.org/sites/default/files/file-attachments/STAR_Physical_Sensation_List.pdf
Hoffman’s Feelings List with Physical Sensations: https://www.hoffmaninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/Practices-FeelingsSensations.pdf
Step-By-Step: How To Do It
Working with the inner child involves exploring and healing the wounds and traumas that may have occurred during childhood. These wounds can manifest as fears, insecurities, self-limiting beliefs, emotional triggers, or patterns of behavior that hinder personal growth and well-being in adulthood.
How to Create Your Feelings Card Deck
Step 1- Gather Your Supplies:
Old Deck of Cards: Use a deck you no longer need (thrift stores and dollar stores often have these).
Collage Materials: Collect magazines, colored paper, fabric scraps, stickers, or anything else that inspires you. (For more ideas on collage materials, check out this blog post you wrote).
Adhesives: Glue sticks, double-sided tape, or Mod Podge (glossy Mod Podge is great for a finished look). You can also use packing tape for sealing.
Art Supplies: Markers, paints, stamps, and any other tools for creating text and designs on your cards.
Step 2- Find Your Lists:
Feelings Lists/Physical Sensation: Look up comprehensive lists of emotions and feelings. You can find various resources online! Similarly, gather lists of physical sensations to include in your deck. Here are a few of my favorite:
Plutchik’s Interactive Wheel of Emotions: https://www.6seconds.org/2022/03/13/plutchik-wheel-emotions/
Common Words for Physical Sensation: https://sensoryhealth.org/sites/default/files/file-attachments/STAR_Physical_Sensation_List.pdf
Hoffman’s Feelings List with Physical Sensations: https://www.hoffmaninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/Practices-FeelingsSensations.pdf
Step 3- Create One Card at a Time:
Start Small: Making the deck in one sitting can be overwhelming. Focus on one emotion or sensation per card to avoid feeling rushed.
Selection: Choose an emotion or physical sensation you want to represent.
Step 4- Design Your Card:
Find and Create Images: Search for images, collages, words, or stickers that represent the chosen emotion or sensation. Use these to decorate your card.
Personalize It: Add text with markers or stamps to label the emotion or sensation clearly. Make the card visually appealing and meaningful to you.
Step 5- Let It Dry:
Drying Time: Allow your card to fully dry before handling or adding it to the deck. This ensures that the glue or Mod Podge is set properly.
Step 6- Assemble and Use:
Deck Assembly: Once all your cards are complete and dry, assemble them into your deck. You can use a rubber band or a small box to keep them together.
Explore and Reflect: Use the deck to explore and express your emotions and sensations. It can be a valuable tool for self-discovery and emotional awareness.
Additional Tips:
Take Your Time: There’s no rush. Work at your own pace and enjoy the creative process.
Seek Support: If you need further guidance or support, don’t hesitate to reach out to an art therapist or mental health professional.
