You Don’t Have To Be Good At Art To Benefit From It
Did you know that even if you don’t consider yourself to be a creative or artistic person, that creativity actually plays a crucial role in your overall well-being?
Being able to express yourself through art when you can’t find the right words to say or when words simply won’t suffice can actually improve your mental health. That’s why it’s so important to recognize that you have an innate ability to create, whether or not you call yourself an artist!
Art therapy combines principles from both art and psychology and provides people with an extremely effective way to uncover their emotions. When you participate in art therapy, you’ll discover new and healthy ways of dealing with your emotions while gaining invaluable insights about yourself as well!
One of the nice things about the process is that you’ll reap the therapeutic benefits of art therapy whether or not you ever show anyone what you’ve created. If this sounds intriguing to you, here are some art forms to explore as you begin your exciting journey into the world of art therapy!
Mixed Media And Collage
Do you have stacks of old magazines, books and scrap paper laying around that you’re hesitant to throw out? If so, then incorporating them into creative collages may be the perfect way for you to put them to good use!
Collage is one of the easiest forms of mixed media art that you can do! One way to approach collage is to begin with a prompt like “What am I feeling today?”, then flip through your supplies and look for images that express what’s inside of you. Another way to jumpstart the creative process is to simply cut out images and scenes which you find striking. This method can help you unearth thoughts and feelings that you may be unaware of that are lurking in your subconscious.
Once you’ve collected your images, have fun experimenting with their placement before adhering them onto the paper. When you are finished, you will discover that you have created a truly unique and beautiful collage!
It doesn’t matter whether you have created artwork from scratch or from “found” pieces. Any process where you put your thoughts into images is good for your creativity and your mental health!
Drawing, Painting, and Designing
When was the last time you picked up a pen and drew? Perhaps you recall drawing in your childhood or taking art lessons in school, but current pastimes such as doodling in the margins of your paper and sketching on paper napkins count as well.
If you feel drawn to drawing and painting, here’s some good news: you don’t need to worry about making a mistake or getting graded on your artwork!
Getting started is easy: Simply pick up a small sketchbook and some art materials, then start drawing or painting how you feel! Don’t be afraid to use lots of colors and let your emotions flow onto the paper.
If you’re more tech-orientated, don’t worry – there are plenty of options to choose from as well! Today’s home computers and laptops are powerful enough to run professional level art and design software. There’s a computer program for every type of art and design you can think of (and many you probably had no idea existed), so it won’t take long for you to find something to get your creative juices going. You can even attach a drawing pad to your computer to make digital art as you would with a regular pencil or paintbrush.
By creating artwork on your computer, you’ll have the added bonus of having all of your creations secured in one place.
Do you prefer activities that are a little more hands-on? If so, then sculpting clay figures is a fantastic sensory approach to creating art! Clay is a self-soothing material that can be manipulated and formed any way you please. This tactile medium allows you to develop an idea organically and to literally build on an idea around making three-dimensional objects.
Engaging with the material also provides a natural form of meditation that allows you to disrupt negative thoughts. This medium is so popular that it has been adopted into its own subcategory of art therapy, as it allows individuals to direct all their energy into the subject at hand.
Enjoy The Creative Process
Art is an individual form of expression. There is no right or wrong way to go about it. When you’re ready to create, let yourself relax and get lost in the moment. Focus on what you are making. Let your creation speak for itself.
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