Imagine a college class that reduces stress and anxiety instead of adding to the pressure students face. Enter Lebanon Valley College’s ART 170 Creative Wellness Studio.

Now in its third year, this first-of-its kind course is where students practice stress and anxiety-reducing creative projects practiced in art therapy. Dr. Grant Taylor, Director of Creative Arts and Professor of Art & Art History, teaches two sections of the in-demand class with long waitlists each year.

“The students in the class are the patients/clients in this instance,” said Taylor. “Other colleges have art therapy courses, but they are history and theory of art therapy, they are not based on pure practice. No other college offers a credit-bearing class designed to reduce the stress and anxiety of college life—and build life-long coping practices centered upon creativity.”

Taylor developed some of the course content during his Art Therapy collaboration with the Lebanon VA Medical Center and realized how it could apply to LVC students, especially when stress, anxiety, and depression were still high post-COVID. Students earn three credits and are graded on a pass/fail scale that removes the concern about grades.

“While making my art, I get a sense of relaxation,” said Ryan Harder ’25, a Business Administration major. “All my thoughts leave my head, and I focus on what I’m doing. It’s a similar feeling for me when I’m playing basketball; I forget about everything stressful going on in my life. When I’m done, I get a sense of satisfaction from looking at what I created.”

The class meets three times a week, and students complete 18 projects using various art media including oil, pastel, collage, acrylic paints, and even AI. Students do not have to be a Creative Arts major or minor to take the class, it is open to all majors.

“I thoroughly enjoy the ambiance as I feel relaxed and present in this class,” said Memory Harrington ’25, an Actuarial Science major. “I feel that this is a set-in-stone time during the day that I can use to balance my crazy schedule and enjoy what I am doing and forget about the other stressors around me.”

Jason Schnydman ’27, a Creative Arts and Interaction Design double major, agrees, “When I make art, I feel at peace. I’m calm and the movement of my hands with the media is so relaxing, it releases a lot of stress and pressure from other classes. When I finish an art piece, I feel like a big weight has been lifted off me because I don’t have to worry about the deadline. It allows me to reflect on the time I took with that art piece.”