Mindfulness Based Art

Margaret believes in the transformative power of Mindfulness Based Art. In 2011, she founded the MBAT Summer Institute to train clinicians and educators. With Brian, her life partner, she lives and works in the vibrant Commercial Drive community of Vancouver, British Columbia. She has a special love for expressive calligraphy, enjoys writing poetry and works in watercolors, acrylics, and mixed media. A clinical counselor and registered art therapist, she has taught Mindful Art for 30 years. She offers Open Studio MBAT sessions in Vancouver and consults to the Vancouver School Board.

In Mindfulness-Based Art: The SPARKS Guide for Educators and Counselors, art therapist Margaret Jones Callahan offers step-by-step instructions on bringing Mindfulness into the art studio, counselor's office, or classroom. Here, you discover the basic principles of Mindfulness and find lesson plans for seven art projects, with guidelines for creating a safe class culture and scripts for teaching Mindfulness. Through drawing, painting, expressive calligraphy, clay sculpture, photography, and more, students learn to be in the present moment, quiet their inner critics, and express themselves authentically.Whether you're a teacher, an art therapist, a coach, a counselor, or simply someone who wants to use art for personal growth and spiritual development, SPARKS shows you how student-artists of any age can increase their confidence and learn to trust their expressive minds.

"It's interesting to do my art this way. I feel real and I like what I've done." - Grade 11 student Expresssive Art project
"The mindfulness really makes me slow down and be really thorough with how I see." - Grade 10 student mindful drawing
"These are my dark thoughts. I can see them here. I'm going to cover this part and do something new over here." - Grade 12 Student Luggage project
"The art room is the only place in the school where I really relax. I can be myself here and say what I want to say." - Grade 12 photography student
"She shows us how to do it and then helps us do it our way. I don't get in trouble for not doing it her way." - Grade 8 student coping with learning challenges speaking about her art teacher