Reconnecting with Your Inner Child Through Art
When was the last time you created something just for fun? Without the intention of it needing to be “good,” for it to look in any way aesthetic and no one to impress. Simply time to be present with yourself, allowing your imagination to lead and invite your heart to play.
For many of us, art-making is often tied to the expectations and rules to making something resembling a “masterpiece” or something that holds a composition that only a “real artist” could do. But I am here to tell you that art-making is so much more than that. It is a chance to connect with our inner child, to heal and to be present to the experience of play.
Why connect with your inner child?
Within us we hold on to the experience of various parts - representations of versions of ourselves that exist in our bodies and are tied to our emotions - our inner child is one of those. Your inner child is connected to a sense of play, wonder, curiosity and is the space holder for some of our earliest memories.
When you give yourself space to connect with your inner child, you:
play without judgement
rediscover joy, imagination and curiosity
begin the process of healing old wounds and trauma
express your feelings in an open and honest way
And while there are many ways to connect with your inner child, art-making can be an incredibly powerful and accessible way to do so.
How art-making helps you connect with your inner child
Art-making creates space for you to transcend your mind and connect fully with your body, it’s emotions and invite in a sense of play. Similar to a child, art-making invites and allows for full self-expression without always needing to use words.
Some ideas for how art-making can help you connect with your inner child:
use clay to create a figure of an imaginary friend or character
draw your favorite place to go as a child
paint with your fingers to focus on the texture and experience
craft with various textures and materials - fabric, glitter, beads, etc.
The primary function of art-making to connect with your inner child is to always come back to the experience of the process versus the product of what is created.
Try this as a way to connect with your inner child
Find a comfortable and safe space as you gather some art supplies that are calling your attention to work with. Try not to think about the materials you are grabbing but rather allow the impulse and curiosity to guide you.
Take a moment to close your eyes and start to visualize your 5-7 year old self. If it is feeling challenging to do so, grab a picture of you at that age to look at. See if you can invite in a sense of curiosity and feel into what he/she would want to create today.
Invite them to take the lead and create from that place of curiosity, joy and play. Maybe it is a simple scribble on the page. Or perhaps you find yourself adding various layers onto your page. Remembering not to judge the experience but rather feel into it.
Spend some time in reflection : how did that feel? how do you and your inner child feel? what did you notice in your process? how can you continue to apply anything you learned as you continue to move forward in life?
Art-making is a direct bridge to your inner child. In those moments of play, messiness, and unfiltered expression, you honor the younger version of yourself — the one who still deserves attention, love, and joy. If you’ve been feeling disconnected, burnt out, or weighed down by life, give yourself the gift of making something today. Not to master it, not to impress, but simply because you can.
Your inner child is waiting.
