A Place To Go - Making Abstract Art as a Calming Refuge
Do you have a place you can go where you're completely free? A place where you can just be. And be present? Be Yourself?
I see that question running around TikToks and Instagram reels a lot lately.
I don't know about you, but my brain chatters, narrates, ponders, thinks and rambles ALL THE TIME. The only time the volume lowers and my mind feels free is when I'm making art. That's MY place. The more art I make, the less my brain chatters, the more my body relaxes, and the more my authentic self can step forward … freely. So for me, art is the place I can go that's free. Have you ever tried making art for that purpose?
I believe art has the power to help any of us in this way, but lots of people won't try it because they think they aren't artistic or creative. The reality is, we are all creative - the notion that some of us aren’t is a societal construct. Art offers such a unique mind-freeing experience, and absolutely anyone can experience. I’m going to talk about visual art (drawing) here, but art really means any creative expression - music, knitting, wood carving, dance, etc.
I have a question for you. Are you willing to take a chance on something that may be unfamiliar and do a little experiment?
Here’s the experiment - make some art & see if you experience the calming effect! Here's how you can give it a try:
1. Find a spot you can experiment uninterrupted for half an hour or so. Put on some soothing music if you like.
2. Get a blank piece of paper, a black marker and something to color with.
3. Check in with yourself before we start. Notice how your body feels, how active your mind is and how you're breathing. Just notice - no judgment.
4. Take any tension & anxiety or whatever doesn't feel good right now and start to scribble random lines on the paper, imagining all those feelings flowing through your hand onto the paper. No plan, no design - just scribble.
5. After scribbling for a few seconds, stop. Take a big breath or two to finish letting it all go.
6. Now, start coloring in the spaces created by your scribble. No plan, just coloring with whatever colors make you happy. While you color, focus on what you're doing. Narrating it can be helpful (say "coloring [color you’re using] in a spot" repeated to yourself).
Sit and color for 15-20 minutes. You don't have to finish it - we're focusing on the act, not the finished product. You can always come back and finish later if you want to.
While you're coloring, notice that as you keep your brain focused on what you're doing with your hands, a lot of the background chatter fades. When it does, more creative thoughts can come in & relaxation can occur.
We're not mindlessly coloring, we're MINDFULLY coloring. As your mind starts to wander while you're coloring (because it will!), you can follow it. If the thoughts are helpful and productive in some way, keep following them. If they aren't, bring your brain back to the physical act of coloring by narrating again.
If you want to, when you're done coloring a spot, you can doodle in it. Doodle with basic shapes like lines, squares, circles, etc., and keep your mind focused on the doodles.
When you finish, check in with your body again. How does it feel? How do you feel? Do you feel less stressed? Does your body feel more relaxed? Has your mind quieted? The things you notice might be small, but even small steps in the right direction are valuable.
The three best things about creating art as part of your self care practice are:
You can take it anywhere (small sketchbook, black pen and small set of colored pencils and you’re good to go!)
The effect is cumulative. The more you do it, the better it feels.
No one ever has to see it! You are not obligated to show what you create to anyone, ever.
My goal is to make art accessible so that everyone can experience the mind, body, soul benefits of creative expression. I'd love for you to try this and let us know how you did with it. I’ve linked a short ebook you can download to refer to later or share with someone you know who might also benefit.
Link to Dawn’s page with Emotional Scribble Workbook: https://www.paintedwillowart.com/learn
Dawn Fowler
Owner & Teacher, Painted Willow Art
www.paintedwillowart.com ~ @paintedwillowart on Instagram