Container
This art therapy prompt is designed to help you create a physical and symbolic container for holding difficult images, emotions, grounding tools, or other content that you need to set aside temporarily. Using found materials, you'll craft a meaningful object that serves as a safe space for what feels overwhelming.
Materials Needed:
A box, jar, or any container-like object (e.g., a shoebox, mason jar, or tin can)- or make your own container out of air-drying clay or paper maché
Found materials (e.g., scraps of fabric, old magazines, buttons, twigs, paper, string, etc.)
Glue, tape, or other adhesives
Scissors
Markers, paints, or pens for decoration
Optional: small objects, keepsakes, or written notes to add to the container
Step 1: Set an Intention
Take a few moments to reflect on why you’re making this container. Ask yourself:
What do I need this container to hold for me?
What feelings, images, or memories do I want to place inside?
How might creating this help me feel more grounded or in control?
Write your intention on a small piece of paper and set it aside. You can add it to the container later if you wish.
Step 2: Choose Your Container
Select an object that feels like it can hold what you need it to. It might be a sturdy box for heavy feelings, a small jar for fleeting thoughts, or a bag for things you’d like to carry with you. Trust your instincts about what feels right. Take a moment to observe its shape, size, and texture. Consider how these qualities might connect to the intention you’ve set.
Step 3: Decorate the Outside
Using your found materials, decorate the outside of the container in a way that feels personal and meaningful. Some ideas include:
Wrapping or lining it in fabric or paper to hold the delicate contents in something soft and soothing.
Gluing found images, symbols, or patterns that reflect safety or boundaries.
Painting words or phrases that remind you of strength or grounding.
As you work, notice how the process of decorating feels.
Step 4: Fill the Inside
Decide what you want to place inside the container. This could be literal items, symbolic representations, or imagined ideas:
Write down difficult thoughts, images, or emotions on small pieces of paper and fold them up.
Add grounding tools like small stones, sensory objects, or calming scents.
Include encouraging or affirming messages, tips for grounding, or reminders of your resilience.
Place these items into the container, imagining them safely stored there, ready to be accessed when you’re ready.
Step 5: Create a Ritual for Closing and Reopening
Decide how you will symbolically “close” the container after you’ve placed items inside. You might tie it with string, tape it shut, or simply say aloud, “This is stored safely for now.”
When you need to revisit the contents, take time to ground yourself first, and reopen the container with intention.
Optional Journal Prompts:
What am I asking this container to hold for me, and why do I need it to be held right now?
Reflect on the nature of what you’ve placed in your container—whether it’s a memory, an image, a feeling, or something symbolic. Why does this particular content feel too heavy or complex to carry openly? What does it mean to give yourself permission to set it aside, even temporarily?
What qualities did I build into this container to help it feel safe, strong, or sacred?
Consider the materials, symbols, and creative choices you made while designing your container. What do they represent about your inner resources, boundaries, or capacity to care for yourself? How do these design elements mirror the kind of internal container you might be trying to develop?
When I imagine opening this container again, what do I hope to find—or feel—at that moment?
Project yourself forward in time and imagine revisiting this container. What conditions will help you feel ready to open it? What would healing, transformation, or integration look like when you do? What might have changed inside you—not just inside the container?
This activity can be repeated or modified as needed, offering a creative way to compartmentalize and create emotional boundaries while also honoring your experiences.