When life starts to overwhelm us and we’re unsure where to turn, ideally, a professional therapist can offer guidance, or a trusted friend can lend a listening ear. But for some children, visual and performing arts can bring an immediate source of peace.
That’s where a local nonprofit, The Art of Coping, is working to make a difference. Founded by sisters Ashton and Averly Burns, The Art of Coping helps support mental health in kids and teens through the expression of art and dance. The Art of Coping accomplishes their mission through donations of cope kits and somatic movement classes. Each part of their mission is led by the sisters, artists and dancers themselves, who know how important it is to have access to art alongside healthy coping strategies.
Ashton’s focus is on visual arts through the organization’s cope kits and coloring books. Ashton designed two coloring books that feature calming illustrations alongside coping skills to help children and teens manage stressful situations. The coloring books are sold as a buy-one-give-one, with a book donated to a child in need with each purchase.
The cope kits have fidget toys, journals, art supplies, and more that children can use to express themselves creatively. Ashton explains, “We have donated a few cope kits already. One to a girl who is often in and out of the hospital, so she brings it with her. We donated other kits to siblings that are going through a hard time with their family.”
Averly’s focus is on performing arts, and she leads donation-based somatic movement classes with The Art of Coping. These classes are a body-based practice that supports emotional healing through intentional movement, sensory awareness, and nervous system regulation. It was a contemporary dance class that helped open Averly’s eyes to the healing aspect of dance and led her to exploring the ways that physiology, biomechanics, behavioral neuroscience, and somatic theories can work together to help with emotional regulation.
Averly’s classes are offered virtually to kids and adults; anyone who wants to practice connecting their bodies with mental health and emotional regulation is welcome to join. With the proceeds from the donations, The Art of Coping hopes to purchase more cope kits to serve more children in need.
With both services, Ashton and Averly are working to support children who might be going through challenges similar to those the sisters experienced while growing up. Ashton recalls, “I experienced trauma as a child, and it took a toll on me mentally. As a result, I started therapy when I was eight years old. For me, art impacted the way I was able to communicate and helped me when I didn't have words.
“I was always scared to speak because I thought I would get in trouble, but through the expression of art, I was able to show how I felt and actually be able to understand my own feelings and ways to communicate.
“We founded The Art of Coping because there are many therapists and centers that helped us, and we wanted to give back to children and teens who are going through similar experiences but don’t have the resources to turn to visual or performance art. It’s our way of saying thank you to everyone who helped us while also making a difference for the next generation.”
To support the Burns sisters as they make a difference, follow @_theartofcoping_ on Instagram and Facebook. Join a donation-based somatic movement class, purchase a buy-one-give-one coloring book, or donate items at their next cope kit supplies drive to help children in our community use art to heal mentally