Art Therapy Techniques To Help You De-Stress
Check out these ideas for implementing Art Therapy techniques into your everyday life. Learn how to relax by using art in a new way!
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CUT AND PASTE A PAINTING TO CREATE A COLLAGE
Create a painting on a material like paper or cardboard. When you're finished, cut or tear it up. Then use the pieces as building blocks for a new artwork -- a collage. See how your original artwork transforms into something new and exciting, something unpredictable. This exercise illuminates the close proximity between creation and destruction, encouraging us to take risks.
DRAW IN TOTAL DARKNESS
So much of the stress we experience when making art comes from the judgments and criticism that seem unavoidable every step of the way. Try creating artwork in total darkness to make art free from that inner art critic inside your head. (Think of it as a form of blind contour drawing.) You're suddenly freed up to create lines, shapes, and patterns simply because you feel like you should. When you turn back on the lights, we suspect you'll be surprised by what you find.
CRAFT A MARK-MAKING TOOL UNIQUE TO YOU
Instead of spending the majority of your time on an actual painting, why not focus a little of that attention on crafting an alternative paintbrush all your own? You can make a mark-making tool out of nearly anything, whether it's a row of toothpicks (glued to a cardboard base) and dipped in paint, or a DIY paintbrush made from pom-poms and yarn. When you finally get around to actually making a piece with your new tool, you will have relinquished some of your artistic control to your distinct artistic medium, which, of course, is a work of art in itself.
MAKE A FORGIVENESS BOX
If there is a certain person -- including yourself -- you don't want to harbor negative emotions toward any longer, try making him or her a forgiveness box. Decorate a small box with soothing images and words that can be either specific to an individual or catered to your desired inner state. You can write the person's name on a slip of paper and include it in the box if preferred, and the name can be removed and exchanged if needed. The act of making the box will bring up happy memories of whomever the box is for, as well as help you physically work toward a place of forgiveness.
DESIGN A POSTCARD YOU DON'T INTEND TO SEND
Whether it's a love note to someone you're not ready to confess your feelings to, or an angry rant you know is better left unsaid, sometimes enumerating all the details helps deflate the issue at hand. While writing the text can be therapeutic in its own right, designing the postcard gives even more value to the object. It also allows you to activate different portions of your brain while relaxing in a manner similar to coloring in a coloring book. Once you toss that signed and sealed letter in the trash (or tuck it away in a drawer), you'll find its message has lost some of its power.
DRAW IN RESPONSE TO MUSIC
Music is a form of art that is often said to move souls. Energize, relax, and otherwise give attention to yours by simply putting a pen or pencil to paper and moving it as the rhythm dictates. Sharp, staccato music may prompt you to draw jagged edges or bold lines; softer rhythms may encourage you to draw waves. Instrumental music is generally a more effective stress-buster than music with lyrics because the mind is allowed to relax without distraction. If more formalized or finite images begin to emerge, allow it – the point of the exercise is to allow for creation without expectation or restraint.
START A DOODLE DIARY
Drawing is proven to relieve stress, but rather than pressure yourself to produce a masterpiece, doodling allows your mind to relax and your imagination to flow. Each day, why not scribble down whatever comes to mind in a sketchbook or journal? These quick and often mindless drawings allow you to focus your mind and improve your artistic skill over time.
**50 Doodle Ideas That Everyone Will Have Fun Sketching
https://mymo...doodle-ideas/
THE MANY BENEFITS OF ART THERAPY:
https://www....ysical_health