Worry Walk
September 2018
How are art and the psyche connected? Can the act of writing down our worries and walking on them have a positive psychological effect?
In order to better understand these questions, I created a worry walk. I gathered a group of people together, gave them each a post-it note on which to write something they were worried about, and then instructed them to tape it to the bottom of their shoes. We then embarked on a walk together. By the end, many of our post-it notes had fallen off, and those that remained were dirty and creased.
In our discussion at the end, several participants felt less worried, partially due to the social aspect and partially the walk itself. Furthermore, we found meaning in our worry walk. As one girl stated, it was easier to let stray post-it notes go than to hold on to unnecessary worries. None of us could see each others’ worries, and yet we all knew they existed.
How can art help you relieve your worries?
