Every two years, The Met turns its gaze inward — opening its walls not to world-famous artists, but to the people who keep them standing. In Art Work: Artists Working at The Met, security guards, librarians, and art handlers reveal their creative lives beyond duty. It’s a quiet reminder that art isn’t only what hangs on the wall — it’s the human spirit that keeps those walls alive.

Healing isn’t about erasing pain — it’s about returning. When the body finds rhythm again after being stuck in defense, safety becomes movement, and presence becomes art. Across voices from The Awake Network’s Nervous System Regulation in Therapy summit, this reflection explores how creativity, co-regulation, and compassion gently rewire the nervous system — reminding us that life wants to move again.

Acrylic markers bridge the freedom of painting with the control of drawing — bright, tactile, and grounding. On small wooden blocks, each colour becomes a moment of mindfulness, offering a gentle balance between structure and flow. In art therapy and daily life alike, this simple tool invites calm through colour, rhythm, and touch — a reminder that creativity often begins in the hands.

Somatic painting invites the body to speak through movement and color. Each mark traces a rhythm of sensation—tension, release, memory. It’s less about creating an image and more about listening to what the body knows before the mind explains. In this process, art becomes a bridge between feeling and understanding, grounding emotion in motion.