Creative Anchors™ – Transforming Corporate Wellness Through Expressive Art

Burnout is real. Disconnection is common. Let’s change that—through the power of pause, creativity, and human connection.

An Expressive Arts Workshop for Emotional

Regulation and Workplace Wellness

''Art isn’t a distraction from the work. It’s a powerful way to do the work—better, deeper, and more sustainably.''

Why This Workshop?

In today’s fast-paced workplace, emotional overwhelm, anxiety, and burnout are increasingly common. Creative Anchors offers your team simple, somatic, and creative tools to ground, restore, and reconnect—tools they can use anytime, with no art experience required.

Workshop Objectives

• Introduce accessible, low-effort creative practices for emotional regulation

• Provide experiential grounding techniques using the senses, breath, and art

• Foster emotional agency, presence, and safety in a supportive space with effective tools to manage stress and burnout.

What’s Included

• Stress management & Trauma-informed facilitation

• Easy-to-follow participant handouts

• Experiential tools that support long-term emotional wellbeing

• Optional follow-up support or custom team integration

Format Options

1.5-Hour Workshop: Gentle Introduction

Perfect for lunch-and-learns, wellness days, or leadership trainings.

3-Hour Workshop: Deeper Dive

Ideal for team offsites, resilience initiatives, or mental health weeks.

Group Size: 6–20 participants

Delivery: In-person sessions

Materials: All handouts and visual tools provided

Pricing

Format Rate

1.5-Hour Workshop (Standard) $750–$1,500

3-Hour Workshop (Standard) $1,00–$2,000

Custom Add-ons Available Upon Request

WHY ART-BASED

WELLNESS WORKS

Art is more than expression—it’s regulation, renewal, and reconnection. Our corporate environments are mentally demanding but emotionally neglected. Through guided art-based experiences, employees rediscover clarity, collaboration, and calm.

Here’s what sets Creative Anchors™ apart:

  • Science-backed techniques grounded in expressive arts and neuroscience

  • No art skills required—just an open mind

  • Instant tools employees can use beyond the workshop

  • Designed by a wellness facilitator with 20+ years of experience

⚡️Teams don’t need another training—they need a shift.

Why Art? Why Now?

Art is more than expression—it’s regulation, renewal, and reconnection. Our corporate environments are mentally demanding but emotionally neglected. Through guided art-based experiences, employees rediscover clarity, collaboration, and calm.

What Other Studies Show
What other studies show: Read more
Creative expression stimulates the prefrontal cortex, enhancing executive functioning and emotional regulation.⁴
Group art-making increases oxytocin levels, fostering trust and social bonding.⁵
Visual metaphors help participants process and reframe challenges, a core principle in trauma recovery.⁶

About the Facilitator

Kay Ray is a Houston-based artist, seasoned seminar facilitator, and coach with over 20 years of study, practice, and implementation success in guiding individuals and teams toward greater well-being and connection.

Through her Creative Anchors workshops, Kay delivers engaging, hands-on experiences designed to support stress management, emotional resilience, team building, and effective communication in today’s fast-paced workplace.

''Let’s turn stress into strength—and creativity into your team’s superpower.''

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a wellness art experience, and how does it benefit our team?

Wellness art experiences are facilitated, creative sessions designed to reduce stress, build emotional resilience, and enhance connection in the workplace. By engaging in guided, non-judgmental art-making, your team will improve communication, regulate nervous system responses, and foster empathy—without needing any prior art skills.

Do participants need to be “artistic” or have experience with art?

Not at all! Our sessions are designed for everybody, not just artists. The focus is on the process—not the product. Whether participants are doodling, making intuitive marks, or engaging in collaborative collage, the goal is personal expression, not perfection. Many find that they reconnect with their creativity in surprising and joyful ways.

What types of workshops do you offer for corporate teams?

We currently offer several signature experiences, including:
• Creative Anchors: Grounding techniques for stress and nervous system regulation
• The Art of Connection: Team-building through collaborative art and empathy
• Creating from Chaos: Processing change and uncertainty through expressive arts
Each session can be customized for your teams goals and adapted to fit your time frame (90 minute or 3 hour session).

What materials or setup are required?

We make it easy. For in-person events, we bring all supplies and handle setup and cleanup.

How do we book a session or request a proposal?

You can contact us directly here or email [email protected] with your team size, preferred dates, and session goals. We’ll follow up within 24 to 48 hours with a custom proposal, pricing options, and next steps.

What other benefits are there in these workshops?

Art-based experiences:
• Invite play and curiosity back into the workplace
• Increase psychological flexibility, a trait tied to innovation and well-being⁹

• Offer low-risk ways to explore complex issues visually and emotionally

• Build shared understanding faster than traditional workshops or presentations
The result? Teams that are not only more resilient but more imaginative and aligned.

Art is not a luxury but a strategy for transformation

BLOGS

BLOG 1

Dual Blog Blocks
Creating from Chaos: How Art Helps Teams Heal and Innovate
Introduction: Healing Isn’t a Luxury—It’s a Leadership Strategy

Today’s teams are navigating more than project deadlines. They’re dealing with ongoing disruptions, burnout, and the emotional aftermath of change. According to the American Psychological Association, 3 in 5 employees report negative impacts of work-related stress, including lack of interest, motivation, and energy.¹
Read more

Yet most workplaces are not trauma-informed and have no structured approach to emotional recovery or sustainable innovation.

This is where Creating from Chaos steps in.

A trauma-informed, art-based experience rooted in post-traumatic growth and expressive arts, it helps teams move beyond stress, reconnect as humans, and generate meaningful innovation—even in the face of challenge.

The Case for a Trauma-Informed Workplace

76% of U.S. workers report at least one symptom of a mental health condition, yet only 57% say their workplace culture is supportive.² Many organizations treat stress as an individual problem rather than a systemic one, overlooking the need for collective healing.

When unaddressed, this stress manifests in:

  • Breakdown in communication
  • Low morale and high turnover
  • Resistance to new ideas or change
  • Decreased trust and collaboration

    • A trauma-informed workplace doesn’t assume everyone is traumatized—it simply creates space for psychological safety, shared emotional processing, and resilience-building. Integrating the arts is one of the most effective, non-invasive ways to do this.

    Why Art? Why Now?

    Art accesses parts of the brain that conversation and logic can’t reach. It helps teams express what’s hard to say, see patterns, and imagine new solutions. Research from Drexel University shows that 45 minutes of creative activity significantly reduces cortisol, the body’s primary stress hormone.³

    Other studies show:

  • Creative expression stimulates the prefrontal cortex, enhancing executive functioning and emotional regulation.⁴
  • Group art-making increases oxytocin levels, fostering trust and social bonding.⁵
  • Visual metaphors help participants process and reframe challenges, a core principle in trauma recovery.⁶

    • In short: art supports regulation, connection, and innovation—three things teams need now more than ever.

    From Burnout to Breakthrough: Post-Traumatic Growth at Work

    The concept of post-traumatic growth (PTG)—coined by psychologists Richard Tedeschi and Lawrence Calhoun—refers to the potential for individuals and groups to emerge from adversity with deeper resilience, stronger relationships, and a renewed sense of purpose.⁷

    Creative expression can be a catalyst for PTG in organizations by helping teams:

  • Externalize and release shared stress
  • Build new emotional language together
  • Generate bold ideas through collaborative play
  • Reframe narratives of loss into visions for growth
    • Art for Innovation and Emotional Intelligence

    According to IBM’s Global CEO Study, creativity is the most important leadership quality for navigating complexity.⁸ Yet creativity doesn’t flourish in environments of fear, disconnection, or exhaustion.

    Art-based experiences:

  • Invite play and curiosity back into the workplace
  • Increase psychological flexibility, a trait tied to innovation and well-being⁹
  • Offer low-risk ways to explore complex issues visually and emotionally
  • Build shared understanding faster than traditional workshops or presentations

    • The result? Teams that are not only more resilient but more imaginative and aligned.

    A Strategy, Not a Soft Skill

    Investing in the emotional and creative well-being of your teams is not about fluff—it’s about functionality. As Gallup reports, teams with high well-being are 23% more profitable, more productive, and more likely to stay.¹⁰

    Art isn’t a distraction from the work. It’s a powerful way to do the work—better, deeper, and more sustainably.

    Want to Help Your Team Create from Chaos?

    If your organization is navigating stress, change, or just needs a reset, consider integrating trauma-informed, art-based sessions into your workplace wellness strategy.

    Let’s turn stress into strength—and creativity into your team’s superpower.

    Sources

    1. American Psychological Association. (2023). Work and Well-being Survey.
    https://www.apa.org

    2. Mind Share Partners. (2021). Mental Health at Work Report.
    https://www.mindsharepartners.org/mentalhealthatworkreport-2021

    3. Kaimal, G., Ray, K., & Muniz, J. (2016). Reduction of Cortisol Levels and Participants’ Responses Following Art Making. Art Therapy, 33(2), 74–80.

    4. Bolwerk, A., Mack-Andrick, J., Lang, F. R., Dörfler, A., & Maihöfner, C. (2014). How art changes your brain: differential effects of visual art production and cognitive art evaluation on functional brain connectivity. PLOS ONE.

    5. Zak, P. J. (2012). The Moral Molecule: The Source of Love and Prosperity.

    6. Malchiodi, C. A. (2015). Creative Interventions with Traumatized Children. Guilford Press.

    7. Tedeschi, R. G., & Calhoun, L. G. (1996). The Posttraumatic Growth Inventory: Measuring the positive legacy of trauma. Journal of Traumatic Stress.

    8. IBM. (2010). Capitalizing on Complexity: Insights from the Global Chief Executive Officer Study.

    9. Kashdan, T. B., & Rottenberg, J. (2010). Psychological Flexibility as a Fundamental Aspect of Health. Clinical Psychology Review.

    10. Gallup. (2022). State of the Global Workplace.
    https://www.gallup.com/workplace

    BLOG 2

    Team Building with Art | Emotional Intelligence & Creativity at Work
    The Art of Connection: Building Resilient Teams Through Creativity
    Introduction: Why Connection is the New Currency at Work?

    In an era of remote work, high turnover, and workplace burnout, connection has become the most vital—and most fragile—resource in any organization. According to McKinsey & Company, employees who feel disconnected are five times more likely to miss work due to stress and twice as likely to resign.¹
    Read more
    We can’t afford to keep treating creativity and emotional intelligence as “soft skills.” They are, in fact, core drivers of resilience, retention, and collaboration.

    That’s why “The Art of Connection”—an experiential, art-based team building session—is designed to rebuild the human side of work. This approach combines expressive arts with principles from neuroscience, organizational psychology, and trauma-informed facilitation to help teams bond, communicate, and thrive—creatively.
    The Crisis of Disconnection at Work

    The American workplace is facing a connection deficit. Here’s what the data shows:
  • 61% of U.S. employees feel lonely at work, even when working in teams.²
  • 53% of employees don’t feel safe sharing mistakes or speaking honestly in meetings.³
  • 1 in 2 workers say they don’t have a “best friend” at work, which Gallup ties directly to lower engagement and productivity.⁴
    • Disconnection erodes team performance, but the reverse is also true: strengthening human connection boosts innovation, problem-solving, and team loyalty.
    Why Use Art to Build Connection?

    Unlike corporate icebreakers or trust falls, art invites people to connect without pressure or performance. It fosters authentic interaction, empathy, and insight in a way that’s nonverbal, intuitive, and emotionally safe. Here’s why this works:
  • Art taps into the right hemisphere of the brain, supporting emotional processing and interpersonal attunement.⁵
  • Collaborative creativity increases oxytocin (the “bonding hormone”) and decreases cortisol (the stress hormone).⁶
  • Making art together lowers social anxiety, breaks silos, and strengthens shared meaning.⁷
    • In a world of Zoom fatigue and inbox overwhelm, art gives teams a chance to slow down, see each other differently, and reimagine how they collaborate.
    What Happens in ‘The Art of Connection’ Experience?

    This is not a painting class or a gallery tour.

    It’s an experiential workshop where teams engage in expressive, low-pressure creative activities designed to:
  • Surface hidden dynamics through symbolic expression
  • Practice listening through nonverbal collaboration
  • Co-create shared visual metaphors around team values, strengths, or goals
  • Reflect meaningfully in pairs and as a group
    • Even teams who “aren’t artistic” leave with a tangible reminder of their creative synergy—and a renewed sense of connection.
    The Science Behind Creative Team Building

    Here’s what the research confirms:
  • Creative team activities increase trust and reduce perceived power differentials, allowing for more honest feedback and innovation.⁸
  • Teams that engage in shared meaning-making processes show higher emotional intelligence and psychological safety, two predictors of long-term success.⁹
  • Employees who feel emotionally supported and seen by colleagues report higher job satisfaction and 41% lower absenteeism.¹⁰
    • When leaders prioritize connection, they don’t just improve morale—they improve metrics.
    Want to Build a More Connected Team?

    Whether you’re onboarding new staff, addressing burnout, or building leadership cohesion, The Art of Connection is more than a workshop—it’s a catalyst for trust, empathy, and creativity at work.

    BLOG 3

    Creative Anchors | Art for Emotional Regulation & Stress Management at Work
    Creative Anchors: Grounding and Emotional Regulation Through Art
    Introduction: Regulate First—Then Innovate

    Work is more demanding than ever—but most teams are trying to power through burnout without the skills to regulate their nervous systems. Whether it’s deadline anxiety, compassion fatigue, or leadership under pressure, unregulated stress shows up in decreased performance, poor communication,emotional reactivity.
    Read more

    The truth is: before teams can connect or create, they need to regulate.

    That’s where Creative Anchors comes in.

    This trauma-informed, art-based session helps individuals and teams develop self-awareness, co-regulation skills, and stress resilience through simple, repeatable creative practices. It’s a nervous system reset, designed not just to “feel better,” but to build capacity for better thinking, relating, and leading.

    The Real Cost of Dysregulation in the Workplace

    Stress isn’t just a personal issue—it’s a systemic productivity drain. Here’s what the data tells us:

  • 83% of U.S. workers suffer from work-related stress, and it costs employers over $300 billion annually.¹
  • Dysregulated teams report 50% higher turnover, reduced innovation, and more interpersonal conflict.²
  • Chronic stress literally shrinks the prefrontal cortex, impairing decision-making and executive function.³

    • Stress isn’t just a personal issue—it’s a systemic productivity drain. Here’s what the data tells us:

      How Creative Practices Regulate the Nervous System

      When people are in fight, flight, or freeze mode, they can’t access empathy, focus, or creativity—no matter how much experience or talent they have.

      Self-regulation is a biological process, not a mindset. And art activates the parts of the brain that help calm the body and bring awareness to the present moment.

      Here’s what happens when people engage in expressive, sensory-based creativity:

  • The amygdala (fear center) slows down, while the parasympathetic nervous system activates.⁴
  • Hands-on artmaking releases dopamine and endorphins, which elevate mood and focus.⁵
  • Visual and tactile stimulation enhances interoception—the ability to notice internal states, a key factor in emotional intelligence.⁶

    • Art doesn’t bypass stress—it helps metabolize it.

    What Happens in a Creative Anchors Session?

    This isn’t a therapy session or a skills lecture. It’s an experiential reset, rooted in neuroscience and expressive arts, where participants:

  • Engage in slow, repetitive mark-making or intuitive painting to calm the nervous system
  • Use guided prompts to externalize and regulate emotional experiences
  • Learn 2–3 creative “anchor” techniques they can take with them for future stress
  • Reflect as a group to build collective awareness and empathy

    • No art experience is needed. The focus isn’t on making “good” art—it’s on feeling grounded, present, and more connected to yourself and others.

    The Business Case for Emotional Regulation

    Leaders often want innovation, collaboration, and clarity. But these are top-of-the-ladder skills that only emerge when people feel safe and regulated.

    Consider this:

  • According to Google’s Project Aristotle, psychological safety is the #1 predictor of team success.⁷
  • Harvard research shows that leaders who model emotional regulation skills have teams with 31% higher productivity.⁸
  • Employees trained in somatic or expressive stress regulation report reduced absenteeism, fewer conflicts, and improved team morale.⁹

    • Creative Anchors gives teams the tools to de-escalate, reset, and return to problem-solving with clarity and compassion.

    When to Use Creative Anchors

    This experience is ideal when:

  • Teams are navigating high-pressure projects or transitions
  • Staff are experiencing signs of burnout or compassion fatigue
  • You’re onboarding new hires and want to set a tone of emotional safety
  • You want to integrate wellness into leadership development

    • Grounded teams don’t just get more done—they do it without burning out.

    Want to Bring Creative Anchors to Your Team?

    Creative Anchors is a powerful and accessible way to support team wellness through art-based self-regulation, emotional intelligence, and a trauma-informed approach to stress.

    📍 Explore sessions and booking options at WellnessArtExperiences.com

    Sources

    1. American Institute of Stress. (2022). Workplace Stress Statistics.
    https://www.stress.org/workplace-stress

    2. Mental Health America. (2023). Mind the Workplace Report.
    https://www.mhanational.org/workplace

    3. McEwen, B. S. (2007). The neurobiology of stress: from serendipity to clinical relevance. Brain Research.

    4. van der Kolk, B. A. (2014). The Body Keeps the Score. Penguin Books.

    5. Kaimal, G., Ray, K., & Muniz, J. (2016). Reduction of Cortisol Levels and Participants’ Responses Following Art Making. Art Therapy, 33(2).

    6. Mehling, W. E. et al. (2012). Body Awareness: a phenomenological inquiry into the common ground of mind-body therapies. Philosophy, Ethics, and Humanities in Medicine.

    7. Google re:Work. Project Aristotle: Understanding Team Effectiveness.

    8. Harvard Business Review. (2016). Emotional Regulation and Leadership Performance.
    https://hbr.org

    9. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). (2020). Workplace Interventions for Stress Reduction.
    https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/

    Wellness Art Workshops

    Lets Bring Calm to the Canvas of Workplace

    Creative Anchors

    Painting the Panic Away”

    A hands-on, laughter-friendly experience for regulating stress through art and play

    -What Happens in a Creative Anchors Session?

    This isn’t a therapy session or a skills lecture. It’s an experiential reset, rooted in neuroscience and expressive arts, where participants:

    • Engage in a fun, no skills needed art making exploration to calm the nervous system

    • Use guided prompts to externalize and regulate emotional experiences

    • Learn 2–3 creative “anchor” techniques they can take with them for future stress

    🎯 Workshop Objectives:

    By the end of this 90-minute session, participants will:

    • Understand how art and humor regulate the nervous system (with bite-sized neuroscience)

    • Use creative, sensory-based techniques to release emotional tension

    • Practice 2–3 portable “Creative Anchors” for future stressful moments

    • Leave with a visual reminder of their self-regulation tools

    Therapeutic Art Workshops

    The Art of Connection:

    Building Resilient Teams Through Creativity” Focus: Uses art as a tool for empathy, collaboration, and emotional intelligence in teams. Participants learn to break silos, improve communication, and create shared meaning through creative activities.

    - Objectives:

    1. Cultivate Empathy and Emotional Intelligence

    Participants will explore non-verbal and art-based communication techniques to enhance their understanding of others’ emotional states, fostering empathy in team interactions.

    2. Strengthen Team Bonds and Psychological Safety

    Through collaborative art experiences, participants will co-create visual stories that build trust, reduce silos, and promote a culture of openness and mutual respect.

    3. Practice Active Listening Without Words

    Participants will engage in reflective and interpretive art exercises that require tuning into subtle cues, improving attunement and presence with teammates.

    4. Break Through Communication Barriers

    By using art to express internal experiences, participants will gain new tools to bridge misunderstandings and communicate complex ideas creatively and clearly.

    Therapeutic Art Retreats

    Creating from Chaos:

    Processing change and uncertainty and Turning Overwhelm Into Inner Order Through Creative Expression

    - Objectives:

    1. Regulate the Nervous System Through Art-Making

    Participants will engage in slow, repetitive mark-making and intuitive painting to activate the parasympathetic nervous system and shift from chaos to calm.

    2. Externalize Stress and Emotional Overload

    Using guided prompts, participants will learn to safely channel complex emotions and internal tension into creative expression—making the invisible visible.

    3. Develop Personalized Grounding Tools

    Each participant will identify and practice 2–3 creative “anchors” (sensory and expressive techniques) they can use to self-regulate during future stressful moments.

    4. Transform Discomfort Into Insight

    Participants will reflect on their art as metaphor, gaining clarity about their internal states and discovering new perspectives on stress, transition, or uncertainty.

    Looking for a unique experience for your team?

    Office: Houston, Tx

    Site: tiltvision.art

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