Art and Mindfullness
Thank you for reading this post.
Art and mindfulness go hand in hand for me. I will explain you why. As I grew up, art was a common practice for me to process my ideas, thoughts, beliefs, and my experience within and the world around me. I believe art is one of the best ways of expressing yourself and an easy way to feel good. It is fun and relaxing. Practicing art is available to all of us from traditional means to digital means like on a phone or tablet. I want to share with you some ways you can practice mindfulness through art.
First materials
With materials, practicing art is so diverse. You can use paper, canvas, pens, paint, music, books, a wall if you desire to create a mural. Practicing art is limitless. You create the “rules” for yourself. In my practice of art, I focus on drawing and painting, with writing and other creative practices. I work on a variety of materials that you can access easily as well.
Materials:
Paper
Sketchbook
Pencil
Canvas
Acrylic Paint
Colored Pencils
Markers
With these materials I am constantly creating art. If you would like to start, I totally recommend using a sketchbook. You can take a sketchbook anywhere and it keeps your art organized within. It is also a visual journal, or art journal. You can definitely write entries in sketchbooks as well. The wonderful thing about sketchbooks is that you can draw, design, write, and even paint in them! Yes, you can use watercolors, guoache, acrylic, and even oil paints (I can teach you about these later ;)
When traveling you can also take a sketchbook with you. Sketchbooks come in different sizes that you can choose from for your liking and comfortability.
Next, experience and happy accidents
As Bob Ross said “There are no mistakes, just happy accidents”. I love this quote! No matter where you are in your art practice, you can create whatever you want and practice it how you like. It is personal. It’s for you to enjoy! That is why it is a great mindfulness practice. While you create, you are channeling your focus into creating. You have an image or a feeling in your mind that you want to express. You are bringing to your reality an idea that was not visible, it was in your mind! That’s amazing!
So while you create, your focus is on the process and less on negative topics. That is why it feels good to create. You are not thinking heavily or directly on bills, relationships, or situations in the world. Instead, you are focused on you and your desire to create. Even if you do not know what to create, the intention of creating will help you get in the flow to receive ideas and thoughts that you would like to express.
By relaxing your mind and focusing on one thing, you enjoy creating. Mindfulness is being present in the moment in whatever activity you are doing. When you are painting or drawing, you tend to focus on your lines, the color, the interaction between the pencil and paper, and these mini activities help you stay focused on what you are creating. The process itself of creating is so rewarding! Sustained durations of focus help you get into flow, which is a good feeling state where you lose track of time and things around you. Being in the present and observing what you are doing is being mindful.
To practice mindfulness with art, I will give you some tips you can practice today or whenever you like.
start with what you have
it does not have to be perfect, just have fun and relax. If you choose to share it on social media it is up to you. This is first an activity for yourself and your benefit.
draw or create about what you see
many beautiful paintings and drawings have been made simply of regular objects, people, and nature. Things that are accessible to us by sight or feeling. So feel free to draw whatever you want, the food you eat, or any objects set on your table or laying around. Draw your pets and strangers.
keep references around
if you want to draw specific things that you may not have access to, you can use references. These are photos or books with visual information you can reference for your art.
Draw anywhere
if you have a paper, and a pen, you are set to draw anywhere. Which is why I recommend a sketchbook that you can take anywhere with you in your bag or on hand. It is a great visual journal, and when you review your own art in a sketchbook, you will learn more about yourself and feelings and see what inspires you and calls your attention.
Be YOU
Creating art is a personal process that involves the soul and the powerful energy of creating. No matter how small you may think a doodle is, it can add up to helping you understand the myriad of complexities and contrasts around you. You do not have any obligation to create for others. Create for you first, and please yourself first.
In our world, we are commonly taught to think of others first and to be helpful and agreeable. However, this is a teaching that has a slippery slope if people then seek validation and attention from others. Remember, you cannot help or give to others, if you yourself do not have. You cannot become poor enough for the poor to become rich. You cannot be complacent or people please enough for others to become kinder and stop treating you like a doormat.
Do this for you, and create whatever you like. Be wild, be free, be risky, be brutally honest, be expressive, colorful, and you will see how good you feel after each session you create!
I hope this inspires you to create. Reading this back to myself I want to grab my sketchbook! I will be sharing with you some prompts in the resources section. You may also find prompts on my social media pages as well. I have several mindfulness exercise sheets available in my shop that you can purchase if you want an easy way to start practicing mindfulness with art. I also have video calls or phone calls where I can guide you along on an art mindfulness session.
Thank you for reading!