Art Activities for Kids in High-Conflict Divorce: Processing Without Pressure to Talk

🎯 If your child is drowning in anxiety from family stress and you're tired of adding more therapy appointments, this conversation will open new possibilities.
 
Brian Barry, Program Manager at Clay Art Center in Port Chester, NY, explains why anxious kids don't need fancy tools or expensive art supplies—they just need curiosity, enthusiasm, and a chance to get their hands messy.
 
Lisa visits the Clay Art Center to explore how creative activities help children process stress without the pressure to talk about their feelings—perfect for kids dealing with divorce, custody transitions, or family conflict.
 
What You'll Learn:
 
✅ Why anxious kids benefit from creative outlets (not more talk therapy)
✅ How clay's messy nature forces kids off their phones and into the present
✅ The misconception that art requires talent or expensive supplies
✅ Why "working with your hands" helps process emotions kids can't verbalize
✅ How failure in ceramics teaches resilience (things explode, break, or don't turn out—and that's okay)
✅ The importance of NOT forcing kids to talk about feelings during creative activities
✅ How digging wild clay teaches science, math, and perseverance
✅ Why parents should work alongside their kids (without pressuring performance)
✅ Alternatives if you don't have a local art center (air-dried clay, local schools, community programs)

About Brian Barry:

Brian Barry is the Program Manager at Clay Art Center in Port Chester, NY, where he coordinates community arts programs for children and adults. Before joining Clay Art Center, Brian worked at an educational nonprofit providing free tutoring for students in grades 2-12. Despite having zero ceramics experience when he started, Brian has learned firsthand how accessible and transformative working with clay can be—no prior experience or fancy tools required.
 
⏱️ TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 - Introduction: Art activities for anxious children
00:27 - Brian introduces himself and Clay Art Center
02:06 - Misconceptions about art and who it's "for"
04:07 - You don't need experience, skills, or expensive supplies
04:58 - Digging wild clay: Kids learn from start to finish
06:09 - The science behind clay (testing, absorption rates, shrinkage)
07:38 - Math, science, and art working together
09:15 - How clay helps anxious kids process emotions
10:30 - Technology addiction and why clay forces presence
11:53 - Learning resilience through failure (things explode and break)
13:16 - Student transformation stories: Confidence and growth
14:52 - Getting kids out of virtual worlds and into creative spaces
16:46 - The importance of joy (not performance or pressure)
18:03 - Why forcing kids to talk about feelings can backfire
19:00 - Alternatives if you don't have a local art center

CLAY ART CENTER:

📍 Port Chester, NY
🌐 Website: [Clay Art Center website]
📱 Instagram: [Clay Art Center Instagram]

BEEN THERE GOT OUT RESOURCES:

📚 Strategic Communication Course: https://programs.beentheregotout.com/strategic-communication
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