“Art has the potential to change lives and in profound ways. When
words are not enough, we turn to images and symbols to tell our stories. And in
telling our stories through art, we can find a path to health and wellness,
emotional reparation, recovery, and ultimately, transformation,” says the International
Art Therapy Organization [IATO] (www.internationalarttherapy.org).
Even something as simple as doodling is
considered art and a form of “artistic self-expression.” According to the American Art Therapy
Association (www.americanarttherapyassociation.org), “the creative process involved in artistic self-expression
helps people resolve conflicts and problems, develop interpersonal skills,
reduce stress, and increase self-esteem and self-awareness.”
What are some easy, inexpensive, and time-sensitive ways that you
can use art in your daily life to help find the path to health and wellness?
1)
Doodle: Sketch pictures
that describe your mood, your feelings, or anything else that your hand and
brain want you to create.
2)
Scribble: Create abstract pictures
that are representative of your moods, feelings, or state-of-mind.
3)
Paint (watercolor, finger paints, and acrylics tend to be the
easiest to use and clean up): Use colors
as your means of artistic communication – abstract patterns and still-life
works are equally helpful.
4)
Stamp: Colorful inkpads and
fun shaped stamps can help those with less confidence in their doodling and
painting abilities, and can be just as satisfying.
5)
Cut or Punch: Take a pair
of scissors or a hole punch (there are even scissors and hole punches that make
neat shapes) and create a new “canvas” out of a sheet of paper.
For those of you who don’t want to waste the paper or buy
supplies, there are numerous “apps” for smartphones and tablets, as well as for
the computer, that allow you to doodle, color, paint, stamp, and more.
One last note: these works
of art are for YOU. No one else has to
see them. Some people keep them as a
visual diary, others throw them out or recycle them, some paint over them, and
some re-use them. It’s your art, your
self-expression, a piece of you. Lose
your stress and find yourself.
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Need some inspiration or a place to start? You are welcome to join our Yoga & Art Class in August 2012. Visit www.regonline.com/yoga-art-with-lolly for more details and to register.
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