Eunice Lim LMFT

07/27/2026

07/17/2026

Sometimes our bodies don’t need more thinking. They need more movement.

This simple somatic-inspired art practice invited me to move between slow, gentle strokes and bigger, more expressive gestures, while noticing the sensations, rhythm, and texture of the paint. There wasn’t a right way to do it. I simply followed what felt natural.

✨ What might your body need to release, express, or explore today?

For this practice, I used washable finger paint (made for art, not regular paint) on a large roll of craft paper taped to the table with painter’s tape to create a bigger surface for movement.

If you’re curious about the art supplies I use, you can find them through the link in my bio.

07/14/2026

07/10/2026

Feeling stuck doesn’t always mean you need to think harder. Sometimes it means creating space to reconnect with your body.

In this video, I share a simple 3-step somatic art practice using oil pastels:
✨ Regulate
✨ Notice
✨ Express

There isn’t a right or wrong way to create. Stay curious about your movements, your sensations, and what begins to emerge. You don’t have to understand your artwork right away. Sometimes meaning unfolds with time.

A special thank you to MEEDEN Art for gifting me their oil pastel painting kit. I genuinely appreciated how thoughtfully the materials supported this practice.

🎨 If you’d like to explore these materials, you’ll find the link in my bio (Stan Store), or comment “somatic art” and I’ll DM you the link. Use code EUNICE for 12% off sitewide.

This practice is intended for self-exploration and is not a substitute for mental health treatment.

07/02/2026

This week, one research article caught my attention, and it made me wonder...

What if before asking, "What should I create?"
we first asked, "What would help my nervous system feel safe enough to create today?"

Maybe that looks like choosing materials that feel familiar, starting with one or two colors, following your curiosity instead of focusing on the outcome, or giving yourself permission to stop after five minutes.

One detail from the study especially stayed with me. Some participants initially felt overwhelmed by having more choices before they eventually enjoyed the freedom to explore.

It made me think about how often overwhelm appears throughout the creative process. Sometimes it's choosing what to make. Sometimes it's choosing materials. Sometimes it's wondering whether we're doing it "right."

Perhaps feeling overwhelmed doesn't always mean something is wrong. Maybe it's a natural part of creating, especially when we're given the freedom to explore.

The study emphasized the importance of choice, and it left me wondering if choosing based on what our nervous system feels ready for today might help us experience that freedom more safely.

That's one reason I often encourage gentle structure before complete freedom. Choosing one or two colors. Drawing one continuous line. Giving yourself five minutes instead of an hour.

Not because structure is better than freedom, but because sometimes a little structure creates enough safety for curiosity to emerge.

Reference
Restall, S., & Hinz, L. D. (2026). Art therapy assessment and sense of psychological safety: Comparison of ETC and HFD assessments. Art Therapy, 43(2), 89-100. https://doi.org/10.1080/07421656.2025.2517434

This post shares my interpretation of one aspect of the study and how it might inform everyday creative practice. The study examined psychological safety during art therapy assessment, not independent art making.

06/29/2026

The final piece of the Cozy Ugly collection… and somehow it became the ugliest. 😂

I almost repainted my medieval-looking cat, but then I realized that would completely miss the point.

For the past 12 weeks, I’ve been painting with my non-dominant hand as a way to loosen perfectionism and self-doubt. One of the biggest lessons I learned is that making something imperfect always made me feel better than making nothing at all.

Someone left a comment that said, “Anything worth doing is worth doing poorly.”

That really stayed with me.

If you’ve been waiting for the perfect time, the perfect skill, or the perfect idea to start creating, maybe this is your reminder to simply begin.

One small piece each week can become something much bigger than a collection of art.

It can become a collection of moments where you chose progress over perfection.

✨ Longer version available on my YouTube channel. Art supplies, my work, and other resources are available in my bio

06/25/2026

The Truth About Oil Pastels in Art Therapy 🎨

When most people think about oil pastels, they think about making pictures.

After reading the research, I realized a more interesting question might be:

What does this material invite?

Across multiple studies, oil pastels were described as inviting movement, touch, body awareness, emotional engagement, and meaning making. One EEG study even found increased alpha brainwave activity after 20 minutes of drawing with oil pastels.

That doesn't mean oil pastels are inherently healing or regulating.

Rather, research suggests that different art materials have different qualities, and those qualities may invite different experiences depending on the individual.

That's why, in art therapy, we're often just as interested in the relationship between the person and the material as we are in the finished artwork.

Have you used oil pastels before? What was your experience like?

📚 References
• Hyun, J., et al. (2014). Changes in EEG Alpha Activity Following Oil Pastel Drawing.
• Haiblum-Itskovitch, S., et al. (2018). Attachment Style and Responses to Different Art Materials in Art Therapy.
• Kaimal, G. Reflective paper on identity, art materials, and art making.
• Hinz, L. D. Expressive Therapies Continuum: A Framework for Using Art in Therapy.

This post also integrates broader literature on media properties, embodied art making, and the Expressive Therapies Continuum.