Investigative design through creative practice

The Creative Art Toolkit is based on a study of Creative Practice undertaken at the University of the Sunshine Coast. This Master’s project set out to explore a simple but important question: 

How can creative practice help reduce anxiety for young people?

To answer this, a combination of methods was used. Interviews with art therapists, educators, and youth workers provided insights into what works best in safe, supported spaces. Alongside this, an auto-ethnographic reflective practice was employed, with the researcher engaging in her own creative art-making and documenting each process. This mix of professional feedback and lived experience created a strong foundation for testing methods, materials, and activities that could genuinely support emotional wellbeing.

Most importantly, the study was never about art for art’s sake, but about creating a practical, non-clinical outcome that young people can use. The result is the Creative Art Toolkit: a tangible, research-backed resource to support users in managing anxiety, finding calm, and connecting with their creativity.

Currently, the toolkit is a prototype developed through practice-led research that has not yet been tested with teenage users.