Using Art to Relax

Dear Wonderful, Artistic You:

If yous've hung out here at Mindful Art Studio yous know that creative self-care is what I'yard about – how to use simple art techniques to express your feelings in a playful, joyful mode.

As someone who tends toward the more broken-hearted, driven, perfectionistic side of the spectrum, I know how constructive art is for stress relief. Fine art making invites me to get out of my ain head, allow go of control, and sentinel emerge on the the lines, shapes, and colors emerge on the folio.

Who, Me? Anxious? Nah.

I'd love to give you an example of the way my anxiety can get in the way, and how fine art helps me practice letting go instead of worrying and controlling.

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

Standing around with my training buddies before the run, I began quizzing them about whether they follow the 20% stride rule or x% pace rule, and how they approach pacing these runs through the season, etc.

OY. VEY.

Luckily for me, my friends are kind and understanding, and empathize the anxieties of a first fourth dimension marathoner. A friend said, "Well, I guess I'm just non taking the numbers in such an exact way, I'm only going out comfortably and pushing the pace when information technology says to add in some harder miles." After well-nigh 5 minutes of these types of responses, it finally sunk in. No ane said it directly, but I heard the voice in my head saying,

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

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

Having a plan is corking, but I also need to requite myself permission to depart from it.  At the finish of the day, the reason I'yard running is to bask it. At some point, it's time to forget about the details and focus on the scenery, my breathing, the effort of my legs and artillery moving, and the blessing of friendships forged over long miles.

Art is the same manner. Oftentimes I sit down downwards to paint, showtime to uncertainty some mark I've fabricated, and internally I hear,

"Chill OUT, Amy, information technology'southward not that exact."

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

Art reminds me, like my running buddies practice, that it's important to non get too caught up in the details of any particular plan. Function of the joy is beingness open up to what I discover that particular day. If I dislike something I do, I can always cover it upwards with paint, cut it out, or mucilage two pages together and hide it.

Art making this manner is a metaphor for learning to let go and engage a mindful presence. When I make art mindfully and openly, information technology'southward a chip like running: I heed to my breathing, and notice sights, sounds, and sensations I'thou experiencing. I permit my imagination out to play.  Like on the page below, every bit the xanthous streaks appeared, I imagined fireflies or souls drifting off into the ether.

I allow myself to leave logical thought backside and get lost in the procedure. I end 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 not I think it will await "practiced."

With all the talk virtually how art heals, I think what a lot of people with limited fine art experience don't understand is that you lot don't need special skills or much "talent" to benefit from art making and fine art play. The ability of art is that it lets you get lost in the artistic realm, lose rail of fourth dimension, and permit go.  Anyone, fifty-fifty "not-artists" can sit downward, 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 so many metaphors for your life if you are but willing to listen. Mine speaks to me about mystery, letting go, and finding beauty. What are the metaphors that appear in your art?

Art for Stress Relief

This is what I desire to teach you: how to utilize art equally a tool – a way to allow become of life's stressors and immerse yourself in painty, playful fun. Yous can let go by exploring the colors, shapes, and wild creatures that announced in your art.

My new mini east-grade, Freeing the Muse, is for busy, artistic people who want to develop a way to save stress through fine art and for experienced artists who want to lose their artistic inhibitions.

You'll acquire to:

• Tune into the pleasure of playing with art mindfully.
• Learn how embracing "mistakes" in your fine art can lead to more expressive, creative work.
• Create a playful, "judgment-free zone" where you tin make fine art freely – no one has to run across but you!
• Make art without traditional fine art materials or techniques.
• Play with the metaphors that arise in your art.
• Develop forms, patterns, and mysterious beings that yous never saw before in your art.
• Bring together the community on a private FB form page to share your work and questions in a supportive community.

Allow me teach you lot how. Y'all can learn more here.

I'm so grateful that you're here and shared this fourth dimension with me today. I'd love to hear from you 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 paint from my portable fine art kit, my Sakura Gelly Coil pen in white, Sanford Uniball Gel pen in gold, and worked in my tan paged Strathmore periodical. These are chapter links, then if yous cull to click and purchase something, yous'll support the work I'm doing here at no extra toll to y'all. Happy Fine art Making!

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

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

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