The Jewish Studio Process is a unique methodology that combines practices from the field of art therapy with ancient Jewish wisdom.

The Process involves hands, heart, and mind and cultivates curiosity, openness, and resilience.

Two people on a bench studying a text and laughing.
A man sitting at a table, writing on a piece of paper with a pen.
A Black woman making a sculpture wearing a mask

The Steps of the Process

A line drawing of a book.

INQUIRY

Drawing from the Jewish practice of beit midrash (house of inquiry), pick a text. This can be anything that you are curious or excited to explore — a line, a word, a poem, a piece of music. Read it alone or study it with a havruta (learning partner) and notice what the text brings up in you including any thoughts, feelings and interpretations. 

A line drawing of hands holding a heart.

INTENTION

Write down an intention for the art-making process. The invitation now is to look for the spark of curiosity, inspiration, or strong emotion that is calling you to be explored more fully through creating. Write your intention in the present-tense, as if it is already happening — “I explore…, I experience… I discover… I release…”

A line drawing of a paint palette with paintbrushes.

CREATIVE EXPLORATION

Explore your creativity through any medium — painting, drawing, music, dance, daydreaming, to name a few. Let yourself be led by pleasure and whatever sparks your energy and interest in the moment. The goal of this step is to let the thinking mind relax, and see what emerges.

A line drawing of a pen.

REFLECTION

The final stage of the Jewish Studio Process is reflection. Write a stream-of-consciousness response to both what you’ve created and your experience of creating it, including any observations, associations, and feelings that arise. We call this witness-writing.

Check out our printable version of the Jewish Studio Process for your creative space!

  • A white woman drawing on a table with pastels.

    “JSP’s process infused my art with spiritual meaning which enhanced my time spent creating, my sense of awe in the moment, and my personal connection to the holy."

    Program Participant

  • A white woman using her hands to spread pastel on a page.

    "I was having a really hard time holding all of the emotions and was able to release the angst, restore hope and feel lighter through the Jewish Studio Process."

    Program Participant

  • A white woman drawing with pastels.

    "I used to be so focused on the plan I had in my head, and would be disappointed if it didn't turn out that way. But now I can just let the piece go where it wants to."

    Program Participant

  • Small sculptures made using the Jewish Studio Process.

    "JSP has transformed how I approach the world."

    JSP Facilitator

  • A table of collage materials and pastels.

    "The Jewish Studio Process helped me connect to my Judaism in ways that are hard for me to do."

    Program Participant

The Process Lineage

Rabbi Adina Allen grew up in an art studio where she was immersed in the Open Studio Process (OSP), a practice developed in the 1990s by her mom, the well-known art therapist Pat B. Allen, PhD, ATR, and Pat’s colleagues. During her time in rabbinical school, Rabbi Adina brought together OSP with the Jewish practice of text-based inquiry (beit midrash). Over years of both personal and communal exploration, the Jewish Studio Process emerged as a powerful methodology for both personal and social transformation which is now used by tens of thousands of people around the world.

A white person sitting on the ground making art.

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