Using Art to Relax

Dearest Wonderful, Creative You:

If you lot've hung out here at Mindful Art Studio you know that creative cocky-care is what I'k about – how to apply elementary art techniques to limited your feelings in a playful, blithesome way.

Every bit someone who tends toward the more anxious, driven, perfectionistic side of the spectrum, I know how effective art is for stress relief. Art making invites me to get out of my own caput, let get of command, and watch emerge on the the lines, shapes, and colors emerge on the page.

Who, Me? Anxious? Nah.

I'd love to requite you lot an example of the way my anxiety can arrive the way, and how art helps me practice letting get instead of worrying and decision-making.

Although I've been running half marathons for a few years, I just started training for my very first full marathon. In preparation for my long run this Sat, I constitute myself staring at my plan, doing complex calculations to figure out what pace I was supposed to run. I started to worry: "What if I get this wrong and I under-train? What if I overdo it every week and wear myself out earlier the race? What if, what if…."

Standing around with my training buddies earlier the run, I began quizzing them about whether they follow the 20% pace rule or 10% step dominion, and how they approach pacing these runs through the flavor, etc.

OY. VEY.

Luckily for me, my friends are kind and understanding, and empathise the anxieties of a kickoff time marathoner. A friend said, "Well, I guess I'grand merely not taking the numbers in such an exact fashion, I'one thousand just going out comfortably and pushing the pace when information technology says to add together in some harder miles." Later on about five minutes of these types of responses, it finally sunk in. No one said it straight, but I heard the voice in my head saying,

"Chill OUT, Amy, it'south not that exact."

I thanked my friends for delivering this message in a way I could hear information technology.

Having a program is cracking, but I too need to requite myself permission to depart from it.  At the end of the twenty-four hour period, the reason I'thou running is to relish it. At some signal, it's time to forget almost the details and focus on the scenery, my breathing, the effort of my legs and arms moving, and the blessing of friendships forged over long miles.

Art is the same style. Oft I sit downwardly to paint, start to dubiety some mark I've fabricated, and internally I hear,

"Chill OUT, Amy, it'due south not that exact."

[bctt tweet="Your art speaks in metaphors. Can you hear what yours is telling you lot? "]

Art reminds me, like my running buddies do, that information technology's of import to non go as well defenseless up in the details of any particular plan. Part of the joy is being open to what I find that detail day. If I dislike something I practice, I can always cover information technology up with pigment, cut it out, or gum two pages together and hide it.

Art making this manner is a metaphor for learning to allow go and appoint a mindful presence. When I brand art mindfully and openly, it's a chip similar running: I listen to my breathing, and notice sights, sounds, and sensations I'one thousand experiencing. I let my imagination out to play.  Like on the page beneath, every bit the yellow streaks appeared, I imagined fireflies or souls drifting off into the ether.

I let myself to leave logical idea behind and get lost in the procedure. I finish trying to control the next step, the next shape, the next color, and instead open myself to seeing what might want to announced, regardless of whether or non I remember it will look "good."

With all the talk about how fine art heals, I think what a lot of people with limited art experience don't understand is that yous don't demand special skills or much "talent" to do good from fine art making and art play. The power of art is that it lets you get lost in the creative realm, lose track of time, and let go.  Anyone, fifty-fifty "not-artists" can sit down down, explore mixing pigment on a page, and potentially get stress relief.

I find that when I open myself some of my best work emerges. Art has then many metaphors for your life if y'all are just willing to listen. Mine speaks to me about mystery, letting get, and finding beauty. What are the metaphors that announced in your fine art?

Art for Stress Relief

This is what I want to teach y'all: how to use art equally a tool – a style to let go of life'due south stressors and immerse yourself in painty, playful fun. You lot can allow become by exploring the colors, shapes, and wild creatures that announced in your fine art.

My new mini eastward-course, Freeing the Muse, is for decorated, creative people who want to develop a fashion to relieve stress through art and for experienced artists who want to lose their artistic inhibitions.

Yous'll learn to:

• Tune into the pleasure of playing with art mindfully.
• Learn how embracing "mistakes" in your fine art can atomic number 82 to more than expressive, creative work.
• Create a playful, "judgment-costless zone" where you lot can make fine art freely – no one has to see but you!
• Make art without traditional art materials or techniques.
• Play with the metaphors that arise in your art.
• Develop forms, patterns, and mysterious beings that you never saw before in your art.
• Join the customs on a private FB grade folio to share your work and questions in a supportive community.

Let me teach you how. You tin can learn more here.

I'm so grateful that y'all're hither and shared this time with me today. I'd beloved to hear from y'all in the comments.

Creatively Yours,

Amy

P.S. If you are interested in the materials I used to create this piece, I used my tiny tubes of Reeves pigment from my portable art kit, my Sakura Gelly Roll pen in white, Sanford Uniball Gel pen in gold, and worked in my tan paged Strathmore journal. These are chapter links, so if you choose to click and purchase something, yous'll support the piece of work I'm doing here at no extra price to you. Happy Art Making!

DISCLOSURE: The information described here is not fine art therapy. This post is for informational purposes and should not be considered a substitute for medical or psychological evaluation or treatment.  Delight seek advice from a mental health professional in your area if you lot are experiencing mental health challenges.

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Source: https://mindfulartstudio.com/using-art-to-relax/

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