Let yourself relax. Take in a nice, slow, deep breath. And then let it out. Breathe in. And out. Deep. Slow. Breathing in. And breathing out. (Pause)

And let your bodies relax. Let your muscles relax. Let your face relax. Let your mind relax. Whatever you’ve been carrying around with you all day that you don’t need right now, let it go. Let all of you—body, mind, and spirit—deeply and fully relax. Keep breathing. (Pause)

And now, in your mind’s eye, imagine a place that you love. A place where you feel loved. A place that is special. A place that feels safe. And happy. It might be a real place that you know from your own experiences. It might be somewhere that you’ve seen in a picture or that you’ve heard about. It might be somewhere imaginary. Wherever it is—whatever it is—call it to mind. Try to see, to feel, all the little details. (Pause)

And when you feel that you’ve noticed all there is to see about this place, imagine that next to you there is a large basket that’s full of paper, and crayons, and chalk, and paints, and clay, and every other kind of artistic media you’ve ever heard of. And imagine that in this special place you know you have the ability to create. So create. Draw a picture. Or paint. Or sculpt. Or do whatever it is that you feel called to do, but try to capture the sights, the sounds, the mood, the feel of this place. Take your time. You can do it; you have no limitations here. It’s as if the artistic expression is making itself. (Pause for at least 30 seconds.)

If you finish one piece, make another. (Pause for at least 30 seconds.)

Now bring the piece you’re working on to a close. Step back and look at it. Take in what you’ve created. And then slowly, as you’re ready, come back to this room and open your eyes.