Self-Expression Exercises

Self-expression is the key to understanding who you are and sharing your unique voice with the world. There are many different ways to express yourself, it’s a great idea to explore the different options and find what feels best to you. While the list below is not an all-inclusive list of all the different ways you can work on self-expression, it is a great place to get started!

– Self-Expression Through Art

– Self-Expression Through Dance

- Dance Warmup
- Dance Exercises

– Self-Expression Through Music

– Self-Expression Through Writing

- Journaling Exercises
- Poetry Exercises

Self-Expression Through Art

Art, in its many forms, is a key way people express themselves in every culture. Like speaking, art lets us share our thoughts, feelings, and ideas, but in a unique way that words can’t always capture. Art gives you a way to show what’s going on inside of you, helps you understand your feelings better, and share them with others.

Anyone can use art to express themselves. You don’t need to be able to draw perfectly or be an expert with colors to enjoy it and benefit from it. There are many different types of art for all skill levels.

Crafting Exercises

This exercise helps you connect with your imagination in a simple and fun way. If you find it hard to express your thoughts and feelings, letting your creativity flow can be tough. This practice makes it easier to build the skills you need to express yourself authentically.

You’ll need some modeling clay for this. You can do this all once or split it between two days.

Make Clay Balls: Start by making a bunch of little clay balls. They can be different sizes or all the same size.
Add the Balls Together: Start adding the balls together to create a sculpture. Let your imagination guide you—don’t worry about having a specific goal in mind. Just add pieces where it feels right.
Subtract: Next, take a solid piece of clay and start removing parts piece by piece. Use your fingers or a knife/spoon. Again, let your imagination lead the way as you take away each piece.
Reflect: After you’re done, take a moment to reflect. How do you feel about your creations? Was it easy or hard to follow your imagination without a set goal? How did it feel to do the two different parts of this exercise? Do you notice any differences between how these practices felt and how you express yourself in everyday life?

This exercise helps you feel more comfortable sharing your feelings with others and building connections. If expressing yourself is hard, making a card can be a simple way to practice.

You’ll need craft paper (different colors/patterns), colored pens, markers, crayons, glue, and scissors.

Pick Someone: Think of someone in your life who you want to connect with better. Consider what you like about them and what makes them unique.
Pick an Occasion: Pick an occasion for the card—it could be a birthday, holiday, or just a thinking of you card.
Create the card: Make the card by using colors and patterns that remind you of this person. You can cut out shapes or draw pictures that come to mind when you think of them.
Reflect: When you’re finished, reflect on how it felt. Did you have any thoughts or feelings about the relationship while making the card? Was the process comfortable or not? How do you feel about the card? Can you see parts of the person and yourself in it? How does making the card compare to expressing your feelings in person?

Creating a mood board is a fun way to understand yourself better and connect with your thoughts and feelings. It helps you visualize your wants, needs, dreams, and desires.

For this, you’ll need a poster board, scissors, glue, magazines or pictures, and pens/markers. You can also create it digitally if you prefer.

Find Pictures: Find pictures that represent your life, thoughts, feelings, and goals.
Arrange: Arrange the pictures on your board. You can place them randomly or group them by theme.
Add More: Add extra details like shapes, words, or drawings if you want. Include things you couldn’t find in the pictures.
Reflect: After you finish, reflect on the process. How did it feel to create your mood board? Was it easy or hard to find images that represent your life? How do you feel looking at the final product? Are there any themes or surprises in your mood board?

Drawing Exercises

This exercise helps you connect with your inner experiences and see how they relate to the world around you. Understanding how you affect the world and how it affects you can improve how you express yourself.

Draw a Window: Start by drawing a window or a door on a piece of paper.
Think About Yourself: Imagine the window as a symbol of yourself. Inside the window, draw anything that represents who you are. It could be shapes, colors, words, or anything that feels like it represents your inner world.
Think About Your Connections: Outside the window, draw things that represent the world around you. This could include objects, relationships, school, or any part of your life that affects you.
Reflect: Look at your drawing and think about how it feels. Are you surprised by what you drew? How do the things outside the window affect what’s inside and vice versa?

This exercise helps you connect with your body and express how it feels through art. Your thoughts and feelings are energy, and if they’re not expressed, they can build up and cause discomfort or even illness. By focusing on different areas of your body through art, you can give your body a new way to express itself.

Draw Your Body: Start by drawing an outline of your body on a piece of paper. It doesn’t have to be perfect—just a general shape.
Focus on a Body Part: Think about a part of your body you want to focus on. Maybe it’s a part that hurts a lot or one you find unattractive. Consider how you feel about that part of yourself.
Add Details: Inside your body outline, add details to the area you chose. Make it as big or small as you want, use any colors, and place it anywhere—even floating above the rest of your body. This should represent how that body part feels to you.
Reflect: After you’re done, think about how the practice felt. How does the part of your body you focused on feel now? How do you feel seeing it represented visually? Is there a difference between expressing yourself through that body part normally and during this exercise?

The connections you have with other people can greatly affect your ability to express yourself. If you’re around supportive people, self-expression might be easy. But if you’re around people who belittle you, it can be hard to share your thoughts and feelings. This exercise helps you understand how your relationships affect you and your ability to express yourself.

Focus on a Relationship: Think of a relationship in your life you’d like to focus on. It can be someone you’re struggling with or someone you want to connect with more deeply.
Start Drawing: Draw anything that comes to mind while thinking about that relationship. It can be a picture of that person, shapes, colors, words, or a combination.
Add Details: Keep adding details that represent how you feel about the relationship until you’re finished.
Reflect: How did the exercise feel? Were you surprised by what you drew? How do you feel seeing a visual representation of your connection with this person? Do the same thoughts and feelings come up when you’re around them? What would you like to change, if anything, about this connection?

This exercise helps you track your thoughts and feelings over time. By creating a timeline of self-expression, you can better understand how you change and what trends you go through each day.

Find a Big Piece of Paper: Get a piece of paper big enough for you to add a drawing to every day for at least a week.
Draw Each Day: On the first day, draw something that represents your day. It could be a shape, word, color, or a picture of someone you talked to or something you saw.
Repeat Daily: Each day, repeat step 2. You can line up each day’s drawings like a timeline or place them randomly on the paper.
Continue Until Finished: Keep adding something each day until you feel the timeline is complete.
Reflect: How does it feel to look at your visual representation of each day? Are there similarities or differences between each day’s drawing? When you look at the entire timeline, what trends or significant differences do you notice? How does it feel to see part of your life represented in this picture?

This exercise helps you connect your imagination with your ability to communicate your thoughts and ideas. It’s easy and fun, especially if you find it hard to express yourself artistically.

Start Doodling: Begin by drawing any doodle that comes to mind. This could be shapes, lines, patterns, figures—whatever you want.
Keep Adding: Continue adding to your doodle. Some examples include spirals, squares filled with stars, intersecting lines, and dots. The possibilities are endless.
Fill the Page: Keep adding until you’ve filled up the entire page.
Reflect: How did it feel to fill up the page? Was it easy or difficult? Did your imagination flow freely, or did you hesitate? Are there similarities between how you connected with your imagination during this exercise and in everyday life? How do you feel about your finished doodle and why?

Fear can make it hard to express yourself. When you’re afraid, the parts of you that allow for connection and expression can shut down. This exercise helps you look at your fears in a new way so you can face and understand them, reclaim your power, and live authentically.

Identify a Fear: Think about something that makes you feel afraid. It could be anything—mice, spiders, speaking in front of a crowd, an illness, a specific person, or losing a loved one.
Draw Your Fear: Draw the object of your fear or something that represents it on a piece of paper, but draw it very small.
Draw Yourself: Next to it, draw yourself much larger than the fear. You could also draw yourself stepping on it or draw something that makes you feel strong, like a truck running it over.
Reflect: How did it feel to see your fear on paper? How did it feel to add yourself or something strong to the picture? Did anything change or did you feel the same? How do you react to this fear in everyday life? Is there any difference in how you felt about it during this exercise compared to other times?

Photography Exercises

Part of healthy self-expression is having the ability to share your ideas and feelings with others. If you struggle with feeling comfortable around people this can feel next to impossible. This exercise is a helpful way to build your confidence with connecting to and expressing yourself around others.

Go to a Crowded Place: Find a place like a mall, park, or sporting event. Preferably a place you are familiar with.
Take Pictures: Begin by taking pictures of the area you are in. Try not to focus on any specific person(s), but instead allow the people in the space to be a part of the pictures you are taking.
Continue Taking Pictures: Try to take a minimum of ten pictures, or more if you feel comfortable.
Reflect: After you have finished the exercise, take a moment to reflect on how it felt. How did it feel to take pictures with other people in them? Was it comfortable or uncomfortable? Looking at the pictures, are there any thoughts or feelings that arise? Did you notice any similarities or differences in your comfort with expressing yourself around others during this exercise vs. everyday life?

Understanding your emotions is key to self-expression. If you’re disconnected from your feelings, it’s hard to understand yourself or share your feelings with others. This exercise will help you connect with your emotions and understand how it feels to express them.

Day 1 - Happiness: Take a picture of something that makes you happy. It could be a person, place, or thing.
Day 2 - Sadness: Take a picture of something that represents sadness for you.
Day 3 - Anger: Take a picture of something that represents anger.
Day 4 - Fear: Take a picture of something that represents fear.
Day 5 - Shame: Take a picture of something that represents shame. You can continue with more emotions if you want.
Reflect: After taking each picture, think about how the practice felt. Why does the picture represent that emotion for you? Do you feel that emotion when you look at the picture? Is it comfortable or uncomfortable?

Final Reflection: Look at all the pictures together. How does it feel to see visual representations of all these emotions? Are some pictures easier to look at than others? Why do you think that is?

This exercise helps you connect with your environment and understand how it affects you. Your body constantly responds to the things around you, and sometimes it can be overwhelming. This practice helps you become more comfortable with your surroundings and how they influence you.

Set a Time Frame: Decide how long you want to do this exercise. It can be as short as three days or longer if you want.
Day 1 - Color Theme: Pick a color theme and take five pictures that represent that color.
Day 2 - New Color Theme: Pick a new color theme and take five pictures that represent it. Repeat this process each day with a new color theme.
Reflect Daily: After taking the pictures each day, think about how the practice felt. What thoughts or feelings does this color bring up for you? How does it feel to see the color in your photos? Do different photos affect you differently? Why do you think that is?

Final Reflection: Look at all the pictures together. Do you notice any differences in how each color affects your thoughts and feelings? Is there a color theme you like the best? Why? Is there one you like the least? Why do you think that is?

This exercise helps you reconnect with things that make you feel good. Knowing what brings you happiness is essential for self-expression. If you struggle with expressing yourself, you might lose touch with these things. This exercise will help you understand what you enjoy in life and deepen your self-awareness.

Set a Time Frame: Decide how long you want to do this exercise. It could be a week, a month, or as long as you feel comfortable.
Take Daily Photos: Each day, take a picture of something or someone that brings you comfort. It could be something that makes you happy or something that represents strength to you.
Create a Collage: When you’ve completed your chosen timeframe, put all the pictures together in a collage. You can do this on a computer or print them out and stick them on a poster board. If you’re doing this for a long time, you can start building the collage as you go.
Reflect: Once you’ve finished the collage, take a moment to think about how this exercise felt. Was it easy or hard to find something to photograph each day? How do you feel looking at all the pictures together? Can you remember these comforting things when you’re struggling? If not, why?

Self-Expression Through Dance

Dance is all about moving your body to a rhythm and is an amazing way to express your feelings and ideas physically. Body language is a huge part of communication and helps us express ourselves effectively. When we have trouble moving, it can affect how well we understand ourselves and how others perceive us.

Dancing can help you connect with, understand, and express your emotions in a way that no other art form can. By expressing your feelings through dance, you can gain a sense of control over your thoughts and emotions and understand them better. It also boosts your confidence in expressing yourself physically in front of others, making it easier for them to understand you.

Everyone can dance. Even if you think you’re not good at it, we all naturally have the ability to move to a beat. Even babies can dance!

It is important to warm up your body before doing any dancing exercises.

Warmup Exercises

Why Warmup?

Warming up before dancing is important because it helps loosen your muscles and lowers the risk of injury. It also improves your movement and your connection to your body, making your dancing practice more effective. For the best results, start at the top of this list and work your way down. Remember, don’t push yourself too hard. If any of these exercises hurt, stop doing them.

Lunges: Lunges stretch many muscles in your legs. Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Step forward with one leg, bending both knees to about 90 degrees. Your front foot stays flat, and your back heel lifts off the ground. Push off your front leg to return to standing. Do this 10 times on each side, going deeper into the stretch each time.

Heel Raises: Heel raises make your legs more flexible. Stand with your feet together. Lift your heels off the ground so you're on your toes, then lower back down. Try to do this at least 10 times.

Shoulder Shrugs: This exercise stretches your shoulder muscles, making your neck and back less prone to injury. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Keep your chin up and your neck straight. Slowly bring your shoulders up to your ears as you inhale, then lower them as you exhale. Repeat this at least 10 times.

Neck Turns: Neck turns stretch your neck muscles. You can do these standing or sitting. It is important to practice these stretches slowly while staying focused on breathing deeply so you don’t jerk the neck muscles. Place your hands on your hips. Look to the left, back to center, then look to the right, and back to center. Then bring your chin to your chest, back to center, then lift your chin to the ceiling, and back to center. Repeat each movement 5 times.

Jumping Jacks or Small Jumps in Place: Doing jumping jacks or small jumps in place helps raise your heart rate and gets your body ready for dancing. Try to do at least 20 jumping jacks, or more if you’re comfortable.

Dance Exercises

Chair dancing is a simple and fun way to get your body moving, especially if you’re not into standing dances or need a gentler approach. It’s easy on your body and still helps you connect with your feelings through movement.

Pick a Song: Choose a song you really like with a beat that makes you want to move.
Get Comfortable: Sit in a chair where you have enough space around you to move freely.
Listen and Feel: Start listening to the song and notice how it makes your body feel.
Move with the Beat: Begin by moving your head to the beat (like nodding or swaying side to side). You can also move your shoulders, clap, or snap along with the rhythm. Try tapping your foot to match the beat, too.
Reflect: After you’re done, think about how it felt. How does your body feel now? Was it easy or hard to move with the music? If it was uncomfortable, what made it so? Can you see any connections between this practice and how you usually express yourself?

This exercise helps you focus on moving one part of your body at a time. It’s a good way to break down movement if you’re finding it tricky. You can try this with the lights off if it makes you feel more comfortable.

Choose Your Space: You can do this standing or sitting. Pick a song you like that makes you want to move or just do it in silence.
Start with One Body Part: Pick one part of your body to start with (like your foot, hand, or head). Move that part to the beat, imagining a ball of energy there that wants to express itself.
Move the Energy: Imagine that ball of energy traveling to other parts of your body, one at a time. For example, if it started in your foot, it could move to your knee, then your hip, belly, chest, shoulder, and so on. Focus on moving just one part at a time.
Reflect: After you’re done, think about how it felt. How did the parts of your body feel that the energy traveled through? Was it easy or hard to move just one body part at a time? How do these body parts usually feel when you try to express yourself?

This exercise helps you connect with your surroundings and respond to what’s happening around you. It’s all about letting your body react to different stimuli, like sounds or sights, and using that to express how you feel. This can help you better understand and communicate your feelings.

Choose Your Setting: You can do this exercise with music or in silence. If you pick music, choose a song that makes you want to move. If you’re not using music, focus on the sounds, sights, and other things in your environment. You can do this exercise while sitting or standing.
Tune In: Take a few moments to listen to the song or observe your environment. Notice what’s going on around you.
Respond with Movement: Once you’re in tune with your focus, start moving in a way that feels right. For instance, if you hear a loud noise, you might move quickly and energetically. If things are calm and gentle, you might move slowly and smoothly.
Keep Going: Continue to notice different stimuli and let your body respond to each one.
Reflect: After you’re done, think about how this felt. Was it easy or hard to connect and move with what you were focusing on? Did it feel calming, overwhelming, or something else? How does this compare to how you usually feel about your body’s responses in everyday situations?

Dancing with objects helps you build awareness and confidence in your movements, even when there are things around you. It’s a great way to get comfortable with moving around objects and people.

Pick a Song: Find a song you enjoy that makes you want to dance. You can do this while standing or sitting, depending on the object you choose.
Choose an Object: Pick something to dance with or around. It could be an object you hold, like a ball, or something you move around, like a chair.
Move with the Beat: Start dancing to the rhythm of the song, focusing on the object. Try to make your movements smooth and coordinated with or around the object.
Interact with the Object: If you’re holding something, try putting it down and picking it up while dancing. If you’re moving around something like a chair, touch it or move it as you dance.
Reflect: After dancing, think about how it felt. Was moving with the object comfortable or awkward? Did the object make it easier or harder to move smoothly? Compare this experience to how you usually feel moving in your environment.

Self-Expression Through Music

Music works a lot like language, but instead of using words, it communicates emotions and intentions. It’s a powerful way to share feelings and meanings that spoken language can’t always capture. Music helps us understand ourselves better and lets us share that understanding with others.

Music can speak in a way that goes beyond words. It connects us to our emotions and gives us a way to express them that we might not have otherwise. Everyone is affected by music, and this shared experience can help us connect with ourselves and others. Using music for self-expression can lead to better understanding, stronger social connections, and more cooperation.

You don’t need years of study or practice to express yourself through music. There are ways for everyone to use music’s power, no matter their background.

Rhythm Warmup Exercises

These practices will be most effective if you start with the first one and work your way through to the end.

Keeping Time Below is a basic rhythm track. As you listen, tap or clap along with the beat. The dashes show how your rhythm should sound.

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Using the same track, add another tap or clap in between every other beat (the added clap should fall in between the sounds made by the track). Follow along with the dashes as an example.

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Using the same track, start counting with the beat. Begin by counting 1, 2, 3, 4, then starting again with 1. Below is an example.

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1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

Using the same track, add a tap or clap on every 1st and 3rd beat. Count the added clap by saying the word “And”. Follow along with the dashes for an example.

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1& 2 3& 4 1& 2 3& 4 1& 2 3& 4 1& 2 3& 4

Rhythm Exercises

Rhythm is a strong, regular pattern of movement or sound that shows up in almost every part of life. It’s in the beat of your heart, the timing of your steps when you walk, the pace of your speech, and how you sync up with other people. Rhythm is what makes all these things work smoothly. If you struggle with rhythm, it can affect how you express yourself. But don’t worry—practicing rhythm skills can improve your timing and boost your confidence in self-expression.

This practice is a great way to work on the rhythm of your body movement and your ability to synchronize it with your environment. Being able to coordinate yourself and your expression with other people can go a long way in how well you are received and understood. If you feel comfortable, try incorporating whole-body movement, such as nodding your head, to the beat along with your feet and hands.

Find a Song: Choose a song you like with a tempo (speed of the song) you feel you can keep up with.
Listen to the Beat: Take a moment to listen to the song and hear the downbeats and upbeats. The downbeat will sound heavier, and the upbeat will have a lighter sound.
Tap Along: After you have distinguished the downbeats and upbeats, tap your foot along with the downbeat while you clap with the upbeat.
Reflect: After the song has finished, think about how the practice felt. Was it easy or hard to find the downbeats and upbeats? How did it feel to keep time with multiple parts of your body?

Keeping the beat with a song is an easy and helpful way to work on your timing. The body naturally wants to sync its movement with music, so having a steady rhythm to keep pace with can be a great method for improving your timing abilities. Improved timing can help increase self-expression skills and comfort through well-paced speech and body movements.

Find a Song: Choose a song you like that has a tempo you feel you can keep up with.
Tap Along: Listen to the song as you tap or clap along with the beat.
Count Along: Once you feel comfortable with matching the rhythm, try counting along with the song as you continue to tap. Count “one, two, three, four,” or “one, two, three,” depending on the time signature. Most songs have the feeling of three or four beats in each measure. Try counting both and see which one feels right.
Reflect: When the song has finished, think about how it felt to keep rhythm with the song. How did it feel in your body to keep rhythm with the song? Was the practice easy or difficult? If you added counting, how did it feel to sync up your voice with your body movements?

Walking to the beat of music is a great way to practice your physical timing and rhythm. Music can help control disordered movement and encourage your body to move steadily with the beat. Well-timed body language can play a big part in meaningful self-expression.

You will need a music player you can carry with you while you walk and headphones/earbuds for this practice.

Pick a Song: Find a song you like that has a steady rhythm you can keep pace with while walking. It should have a moderate tempo, not too fast or too slow.
Start Walking: Start the song and begin walking.
Step in Rhythm: As you walk, try to step in rhythm with the song, making sure your feet hit the ground in sync with the beat.
Reflect: When the song finishes, think about how it felt to walk to the beat. Was it easy or hard? How did it feel in your body to move in sync with the music? Does your normal walking pace feel more or less rhythmic than it does with the music?

Singing Warmup Exercises

Why Warmup?

It’s important to warmup before you begin singing so you don’t strain your vocal chords. Below are some exercises to get you started.

Start by taking a few deep breaths and doing some gentle sighs and yawns. This helps stretch your body and voice, getting them ready for singing. Take a deep breath through your nose and let out a big, long sigh to warm up your voice.

Humming is a soft way to warm up your voice. Here’s how to do it:

Place your tongue behind your bottom front teeth and keep your mouth closed.
Hum with a major scale (sounds like “hmm”). Use the scales provided to help guide your practice.

A lip buzz (or trill) is when you blow air through your lips so they vibrate like a motorboat sound. This helps warm up your voice and build strength. Here’s how:

Relax your face and take a deep breath into your belly.
Let the air out of your mouth while letting your lips vibrate. Try not to push the air out too forcefully.
If your lips are having trouble vibrating, try pressing gently on the corners of your mouth with your fingers to lift your cheeks and release any tension.
Once you can do a steady trill, try adding a pitch to it. Start with a note that feels comfortable, then practice with a major scale (like the C-major scale).

A chromatic scale includes all 12 notes in music and is great for warming up your voice. To practice, sing up and down the scale using the sounds "Oh" (like in "sew") and "Ah" (like in "father").

C Major Scale

Chromatic Scale

Singing Exercises

The voice is our built-in instrument. Singing lets us make music without any tools, and it helps relieve stress, boost mood, improve lung function, and make us better speakers. It’s a great way to build self-expression skills, helping us understand and share our feelings like nothing else can. It doesn’t matter if you think you can sing in tune or not—the benefits are the same.

Just like you need to stretch before a workout, it’s important to warm up your vocal cords before singing to avoid injury.

This exercise is a great way to help your lungs get stronger and improve how you speak. Good breathing can make a big difference when you're trying to express yourself clearly. Singing long notes helps your body learn to breathe deeply and support your voice.

Pick a Ballad: Find a song you like with a slow beat and some long notes in it.
Sing Along: Sing along with the song, paying close attention to your breathing.
Breathe Deeply: Breathe into your diaphragm as you sing. When you reach those long notes, try to let the air flow smoothly and steadily. Avoid letting the air come out too quickly or all at once.

This exercise helps you connect with and express your emotions through music. It's best to take your time with each step and not rush through them all at once. This can be especially useful if you’re dealing with strong feelings.

Here’s what you’ll need:

Songs with lyrics
Songs that fit your vocal range (so you can sing comfortably)
Songs you know well or can read the lyrics while you sing

Find a song that makes you feel happy. Sing along and focus on the feeling of happiness. Afterward, answer these questions:
- How do you feel physically, mentally, and emotionally?
- How did expressing happiness through song make you feel?
- How comfortable are you with showing happiness in your daily life? If you’re uncomfortable, why?
Find a song that makes you feel sad. Sing along and concentrate on the sadness. Then, answer these questions:
- How do you feel physically, mentally, and emotionally?
- How did expressing sadness through song make you feel?
- How comfortable are you with showing sadness in your daily life? If you’re uncomfortable, why?
Find a song that makes you feel angry. Sing along and focus on the anger. Afterward, answer these questions:
- How do you feel physically, mentally, and emotionally?
- How did expressing anger through song make you feel?
- How comfortable are you with showing anger in your daily life? If you’re uncomfortable, why?
Find a song that makes you feel afraid. Sing along and concentrate on the fear. Then, answer these questions:
- How do you feel physically, mentally, and emotionally?
- How did expressing fear through song make you feel?
- How comfortable are you with showing fear in your daily life? If you’re uncomfortable, why?

This exercise helps you work on how you express yourself when you speak or sing, focusing on speed. Your tone and pace are important in how you communicate. Practicing with both fast and slow songs can help you control your voice better.

Find a Slow Song: Find a song you enjoy and sing along. Pay attention to how it feels to sing slowly.
Find a Fast Song: Find another song you like and sing along to that one too. Notice how it feels to sing quickly.
Reflect: When you are finished, reflect on the difference between singing the slow and fast songs. How did your voice feel in each one? How do you think people react to your speech when you speak slowly versus quickly? Do you feel like you control your speaking pace, or does it control you?

Mirror singing is a great way to get more comfortable with expressing yourself through singing and body language. Watching yourself can boost your confidence and help you see how your emotions come across.

Choose a Song: Find a song you like that has strong emotions.
Look at a Mirror: Stand in front of a mirror and sing along while watching yourself.
Watch Yourself: Observe how you express the emotions of the song through your voice, facial expressions, and body movements.

Reflect: When you are finished, reflect on how it felt to see yourself express these emotions. Did you feel comfortable or uneasy? If you felt uncomfortable, what made it so? What did you think about the sound of your voice and how you looked?

Rapping can help improve how clearly you speak and how you support your voice. It’s a fun way to strengthen the muscles needed for clear communication and better breath control.

Find a Song: Find a rap song you enjoy that’s a bit faster than what you’re used to.
Rap Along: Rap along with the song, focusing on saying each word clearly.
Repeat: Repeat the song, this time trying to emphasize as many words as you can.
Reflect: When finished, reflect on how your facial muscles and voice feel after the exercise. Do you notice a difference in how you articulate words when rapping compared to speaking normally?

Self-Expression Through Writing

Writing is a great way to share your thoughts and feelings, not just with others but also with yourself. Sometimes, it’s easier to write things down than to say them out loud. Writing can help you understand yourself better and see how different things affect you. Whether it’s through journaling, poetry, or any other form of writing, exploring your inner world can help you learn more about who you are and what makes you unique. If you can write, you have the potential to express yourself through writing.

Journaling Exercises

This exercise helps you connect with your emotions and express them through words. If you find it hard to understand your feelings or share them, this can improve your vocabulary and make it easier to express yourself when you need to.

Happy:
- Write down the word "happy."
- Think of everything that "happy" means to you. Write down anything that comes to mind: words (like ecstatic, thrilled, cheerful), situations (like the warm sun on your face, going to the beach, eating ice cream), or memories (like sitting on your grandmother’s lap, meeting a friend, graduating).
Sad:
- Write down the word "sad."
- Do the same as you did with "happy" and describe everything that "sad" means to you.
Other Emotions:
- Repeat the process with "angry," "afraid," and "ashamed."
Reflect:
- How did this exercise feel?
- Were some emotions easier to describe than others? Why do you think that is?
- Did you have more descriptions for some emotions compared to others?

How did writing down these descriptions compare to talking about them? Was one easier than the other?

This exercise helps you practice sharing your feelings with others. Writing a letter to someone (that they won’t read) can help you develop the courage and skills to express yourself in person.

Pick Someone: Think of someone you want to share your feelings with. It could be someone you're struggling with, someone from your past, or someone you want to strengthen your relationship with.
Reflect on the Relationship: Consider how this relationship feels to you. What thoughts and feelings come up when you think of this person?
Write the Letter: Write anything that comes to mind as if you were writing a letter to that person. Let your words flow freely without judging yourself.
Reflect: How did it feel to write this letter? Was it comfortable or uncomfortable? Why? How do you feel seeing the completed letter? Are you surprised by what you wrote? Could you share these feelings, or a version of them, with the person? If not, why?

This exercise helps you understand yourself better, which is crucial for self-expression. The more you know about yourself and how you react to things, the better you'll be at sharing your thoughts and feelings.

Choose a Sentence Starter: Pick a question to guide your writing. Some examples are:
- What do I appreciate most about myself? What parts of myself do I find hard to accept?
- What do I value most in my relationships?
- What upsets me more than anything?
- What boundaries could I create in my relationships to protect my well-being?
- What emotions are hardest for me to accept? How do I deal with these emotions?
Think About It: Take a moment to think about the sentence starter and the thoughts and feelings it brings up.
Write Your Response: Write your response without judging yourself. Let your words flow freely.
Reflect: How did it feel to complete this exercise? Was it comfortable or uncomfortable? Were you surprised by what you wrote? Was it easier or harder to understand yourself and your reactions while writing compared to your usual self-reflection?

Many people find it hard to express who they really are, hiding parts of themselves to fit in. This exercise helps you understand all your qualities, even the ones you usually keep hidden, and can help you become more comfortable with being yourself.

Think About Yourself Now: Consider your current life, how you interact with others, and how it makes you feel.
Imagine an Ideal World: Picture a world where you can live exactly the life you want, feeling great about yourself and expressing yourself fully. Focus on who you would be as a person, not on material things like money or fame.
Write Your Story: Write a story about yourself in this imagined world. Describe what it looks like, how you look and feel, how you interact with others, and what you do. Write as much or as little as you want.
Reflect: How did it feel to imagine and write about this world? Notice any differences or similarities between this world and your current life. If it's different, think about what might be stopping you from living this ideal life and if there are things you can do to get closer to it.

Sometimes, we can be really hard on ourselves and think negatively. Writing your own words of affirmation can help you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, showing who you really are and what makes you unique.

Identify Negative Messages:
- Think about the negative things you tell yourself. It could be something that comes up occasionally or something you think about every day.
- Write down all these negative thoughts.
Create Positive Messages:
- Think about the opposite of each negative thought. For example, if you think "I don’t deserve love," the opposite would be "I am worthy of love." If you think "I’m stupid," the opposite would be "I know a lot of things."
- Write down a positive message next to each negative one.
Speak Positive Messages:
- Read each negative message and then say the positive message out loud.
Reflect:
- How did it feel to see the negative messages written down?
- Was it easy or hard to come up with positive messages? Why do you think that is?
- How did it feel to say the positive messages out loud? Comfortable or uncomfortable?

Which type of message do you usually express to yourself and others? Which type would you prefer to express?

Poetry Exercises

This exercise helps you get better at expressing yourself with words. It’s about understanding your thoughts and feelings and being able to share them with others.

Pick a Theme: Choose something to focus on, like nature, an object, a relationship, a feeling, or a memory.
Think About Your Theme: How does it look, feel, or sound? What details do you notice?
Start Writing: Use expressive words to describe your theme. Write single words, descriptions, or full sentences. Try to paint a vivid picture with your words.
Reflect: How does it feel to see the words you wrote? Was it easy or hard to come up with expressive words? Were you surprised by the number of words you thought of? How does this compare to how you usually describe things in everyday life?

Writing haikus is a fun way to use your imagination and get better at expressing your thoughts and feelings. Haikus are short poems with 17 syllables, usually about nature or emotions. Here’s how they’re structured:

The first line has 5 syllables
The second line has 7 syllables
The third line has 5 syllables

Pick Your Subject: Think about what you want to write your haiku about. It could be something you see, feel, or something that makes you happy or sad.
Think About Details: Take a moment to focus on your subject. What do you notice about it? How does it look, smell, or feel?
Start Writing: Use short phrases to create a vivid picture. If you have trouble fitting the syllable count, write freely first and then adjust it. Use punctuation to enhance your imagery.
Reflect: How did it feel to create a picture with your words? Was it easy or hard? How do you feel about your haiku? Is expressing yourself this way comfortable or uncomfortable? Why?

This exercise helps you express your feelings about someone in your life, like writing song lyrics. It's a good way to practice sharing your thoughts with others.

Choose a Person: Think of someone you want to write about. It could be someone you have a strong connection with or someone you're having issues with. Decide if you want to write about a specific moment or your overall feelings.
Think About Your Senses: How does this person make you feel? What do you notice when you're around them? How does your body react?
Start Writing: Write down your feelings as if you were talking to them. Don't worry about rhyming or rhythm. Write in lines, and don't stress about making complete sentences.
Structure Like a Song: Songs usually have verses that change and a chorus that stays the same. Use the verses to describe the person or situation, and the chorus to express your strongest feelings.
Reflect: How did it feel to write lyrics about this relationship? Was it comfortable or uncomfortable? Were you surprised by what you wrote? Do you notice any themes? How does writing about this relationship compare to talking about it face-to-face?

Self-Expression Exercises

Table of Contents

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Self-Expression Exercises

Table of Contents

Self-Expression Through Art

Crafting Exercises

Drawing Exercises

Photography Exercises

Self-Expression Through Dance

Warmup Exercises

Dance Exercises

Self-Expression Through Music

Rhythm Warmup Exercises

Rhythm Exercises

Singing Warmup Exercises

Singing Exercises

Self-Expression Through Writing

Journaling Exercises

Poetry Exercises

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