Out of Your Head, Onto the Page: 5 Therapeutic Art Prompts for Your Mental Load
Some days you're Mary Poppins, singing your way through snack time with suspiciously unhinged joy.
Some days you're Lorelai Gilmore on her fifth coffee, talking fast to outrun the feelings. And some days? You're a Victorian mom in a corset, silently screaming into the void while folding tiny pants.
We joke, because if we didn't, we might cry.
Is your mom-brain currently hosting a 17-tab clusterf*ck marathon?
School spirit day tomorrow…
That one sock you could swear you just folded (where the heck did it go?)…
Snack time AGAIN…
And a text message that's making you question everything?
Yeah, me too. I see you, mama.
The Bathroom Floor That Changed Everything
Picture this: It's 8 PM. My husband's at his oil and gas camp job (a week at work, a week at home). My kids are splashing in the tub, and I'm sitting on the bathroom floor ripe with resentment, anxiety and rage.
I'd been scrolling my way through "regulation" for months before I realized: enough is enough. No one is going to come and save me. I have to figure out how to cope with this.
So I get up, grab my notebook, and remember Julia Cameron's Artist's Way morning pages.
Except it's 8:00 at night, I am not alone, and I probably have 3 minutes before someone tries to scale the bathtub wall.
This wasn't some enlightened self-care moment. This was desperation.
So I adapted. Instead of Julia's ideal morning routine, I created my own chaotic evening version. While the kids splashed around, I'd scribble through three quick pages: whatever thoughts were bouncing around my brain, random shapes and scribbles for all the feelings I couldn't name, and a rough plan for tomorrow (mostly strategies for not losing my sh*t).
It wasn't pretty. But it worked.
Some nights I'd skip it and scroll Instagram instead. But the nights I chose art over phone? I slept better. I had more patience for the bedtime circus. I felt like myself again, even if just for five minutes.
That bathroom floor became my lifeline. And those three messy pages? They evolved into five simple exercises that actually work when you're drowning in mom life.
Five Powerful Art Exercises to Transform Your Mental Load
Two fit seamlessly into your day, even with a toddler on your hip.
One works right in the thick of chaos.
Two offer deeper exploration when you have evening moments to yourself.
Ready to move those swirling thoughts from your mind to the page, where they can finally quiet down?
1. The Scribble Scream (1-minute nervous system reset)
Time: One minute
You’ll need: Just paper and something to write with (yes, even that crayon from under the couch - this art journal is my fave)
Try it when: You feel like you might snap - or you already did and need a reset.
How to:
Set a timer for one minute. Scribble with abandon. No shapes, no plans, no perfection.
Channel that pure toddler rage onto the page.
Bonus points for a dramatic sigh or primal growl.
Why it helps:
This is nervous system regulation for moms who can't escape to meditate in a meadow. It's fast. It's messy. And it works.
2. Color Your Capacity (visual check-in for your mom battery)
Time: 3-5 minutes (can be done while supervising kids)
You'll need: Colored pencils, crayons, markers—whatever your kids haven't broken.
Try it when: You're running on fumes but feel guilty for feeling that way.
How to:
Draw five small shapes—circles, boxes, whatever. Label each one: parenting, work, chores, emotions, mental health.
Shade them in based on your actual energy, not what you think you "should" feel.
Why it helps: Because seeing your capacity on paper helps you stop gaslighting yourself. You're not lazy. You're full.
3. Draw Your Feelings (tub-time, tea-time, or meltdown moment)
Time: 10-15 minutes (save for quiet moments)
You'll need: Paper, pen, markers (these are my fave) if you have them.
Try it when: Words feel clunky and you want to scream into a pillow.
How to: Ask yourself, What's the loudest emotion right now?
Now draw it. Not realistically—energetically. Your anxiety might look like black scribbles. Your hope, like pink spirals.
Why it helps: This isn't about explaining feelings—it's about expressing them. And expression moves emotion.
4. The Enough Map (for when you're chasing impossible standards)
Time: 10-15 minutes (save for quiet moments)
You'll need: Paper, markers or pens, and a bit of space.
Try it when: The "I'm not doing enough" loop is on repeat.
How to: Draw an abstract map of your life—lumpy mountains, weird oceans, whatever. Label areas like work, parenting, rest, identity. Then ask yourself: What would feel like "enough" in this space today?
Why it helps: Because you don't need more grit. You need more grace. This isn't about settling—it's about softening.
5. The Aliveness Collage (finding your way back from numb)
Time: 20-30 minutes (ideal for self-care time)
You'll need: Old magazines, stickers (these are so fun) scissors, glue, notebook or paper
Try it when: You're going through the motions and wondering where you went
How to:
Make two collages:
One for numbness (flat, cold, muted images)
One for aliveness (images that whisper "yes" in your body)
Sit with both. Don't judge. Just notice.
Why it helps:
This isn't about fixing yourself.
It's about gently remembering what it feels like to feel.
When You Need It Most:
Feeling overwhelmed → Scribble Scream (1 min)
Low energy → Color Your Capacity (check-in with your energy levels)
Emotional overflow → Draw Your Feelings (express without explaining)
Self-doubt → The Enough Map (find your strength)
Lost in routine → Aliveness Collage (reconnect with yourself)
Sarah, a mom of three, tried the Scribble Scream during dinner prep: "That one minute of releasing energy through art left me feeling lighter and having more tolerance for all the loudness!"
Here's What I Know: Those five minutes on my bathroom floor? They didn't fix everything.
But they gave me something to do with all the feelings that had nowhere else to go.
Maybe you're thinking you don't have time for this. Or that you're "not creative." Or that your kids will interrupt anyway.
Fair enough.
But here's the thing - we all scroll. I scroll. You scroll. Sometimes it helps, sometimes it makes everything feel worse.
The difference? When I put my phone down after scrolling, I'm usually in the exact same headspace I started in. When I put my pen down after five minutes of art? Something has shifted.
Not every time. But enough times that it's worth doing.
What if you tried something different for just five minutes?
Start with whatever calls to you. Maybe it's angry scribbles while your coffee reheats for the third time. Maybe it's coloring in your capacity while supervising homework.
There's no wrong way to do this. There's just doing it or not doing it.
The art supplies can be whatever's lying around. The timing can be whenever you remember. The "studio" can be your kitchen counter, your car, or yes - the bathroom floor.
What's Next?
Choose one exercise. Try it this week. See what happens.
That's it.
If we’ve never met - HEY THERE! I’m Kayla Huszar
a creative counsellor, expressive arts therapist, and founder of The Motherload Membership - a community for overwhelmed moms who are ready to feel lighter in motherhood. Based in rural Alberta and working virtually across Canada, I help mothers transform mental load into creative expression (and rage into collage).Want a step by step guide to this process?
Grab my FREE 5-Minute Check-In - a gentle, guilt-free introduction to expressive art therapy for busy moms with full plates.
Follow Kayla on her Instagram account @kayla.huszar for mom life reality and tips!
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This information is for educational purposes only. Kayla cannot provide personalized advice or recommendations for your unique situation or circumstances. Therefore, nothing on this page or website should replace therapeutic recommendations or personalized advice. If you require such services, please consult with a medical or therapeutic provider to determine what's best for you. Kayla cannot be held responsible for your use of this website or its contents. Please never disregard or delay seeking medical or therapeutic treatment because of something you read or accessed through this website.
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