Less of a list of things to buy and more of a list of things to try...

Creativity for Self-care

For me art is is self-care

I comes in many forms; Painting, drawing, journaling, sewing and creative mending.

It's time to myself, to sit with my feelings.

Watercolour painting allows me to stay present and connect with my body.

It gives my brain space to just exist and not be constantly whirring.

I find it enjoyable!

Painting helps me to meditate.

Creativity helps me to think outside the box and with problem solving.

Art has given me a voice and help me to have the confidence I needed to advocate for myself.

Visual Journal

Creating a visual journal is a great way to process emotion and has helped me personally to process traumatic events.

It has also helped to be able to go back and look at what kind of state my mental health was in at the time that I did certain drawings or just to see a visual representation of where my head was at.

Playtime

Why play?

I find it very difficult to just play with art supplies. I'd boxed myself in by painting only on loose paper and my art became stagnant. It felt like there was no joy in it anymore and I didn't want to paint.

Allowing myself to play with my art supplies and be silly opened up my imagination. I stopped worrying about what to draw and just drew. Scribbles, doodles, finger painting, spit drawings, anything I could think of. My attitude became "why not", instead of telling myself I was too old to play like a child. 

All these little side projects feed into our other art by opening our minds to new possibilities. I find my ability for problem solving is vastly improved by these playful sessions. My imagination is improved and ideas flow more freely.

Music

I love listening to music while I paint. I have noticed within myself that music can have a huge effect on my state of consciousness. It's one of the quickest ways for me to calm down or energise myself, depending on the type of music. I have played around with meditation soundtracks as well as drum and bass, funk, Enya (I'm not sure what category she fits into but I would call it Celestial) and nature sounds like rain/waterfalls/the ocean - I usually veer towards water sounds as I find it the most relaxing.

Scent/Incense

Movement/Dance

Expressive dance helps me to engage with my body. Sitting doing art can exasperate my pain so it's important for me to get up and move around, doing gentle movements. I'm not talking breakdance or ballet, just simple wrist circles and stretches to loosen up again. It can help me pin point where the emotions are being stored in my body and allow me to work on releasing them. 

Draw what you see....

Drawing on the go helps me to get ideas and inspiration for later. It's good to refresh my memory of trips I have taken and places I have visited.

Drawing my animals was a real challenge as they move every few seconds giving me a new perspective which really challenged my visual skills. 

Eat the RAINBOW

I don't just mean eating lots of colourful veggies, although it's always a good place to start.

Surrounding ourselves with lots of colours, from our clothes to our home to the food we eat helps us to notice more colours.

I like looking at the various different cultural significance placed on each colour, and working out my own meanings. 

Adding more colour to my wardrobe helped me engage with my feelings in a different way. I often match colours to feelings.

Making art with nature

Making art with nature, in nature.

Making art that will eventually biodegrade back into the landscape from natural items we find around us can be extremely cathartic. It's also a great way to encourage ourselves out into nature and surround ourselves with colour.

*Please be respectful to our mother the earth and only use what you find on the floor; leaves, twigs, empty shells, etc.

SKETCHBOOKS

A game changer for sure.

I know how easy it can be to avoid working in a sketchbook. Accepting that I needed to show myself my workings out, showed me that sketchbooks are a very valuable tool when it comes to making art. I needed a space to be messy! 

My entire philosophy changes when I work in a sketchbook. I cease to care about neatness. Mistakes become flourishes.

The hard part for me is applying these thinking patterns to my final pieces. 

Mixed Media

Low lighting or Candle light

I really struggle with ocular migraines. For me, having the option of soft lighting has really helped with this. It's good to always check colours with brighter lights when needed.

Painting is an activity I can still enjoy without the use of screens and in low lighting. 

Active Meditation

Using art as a form of active meditation has really helped me to understand myself. The images that arise through connecting with my subconscious, tell me things about my current mental state that aren't on the surface. 

This has helped me connect with my shadow and allowed me to start loving the parts of myself that terrified me in the past. 

It doesn't have to be a masterpiece, the simple act of connecting mind to body can help us feel more present. For me this really helped me accept my current state of reality and whilst going through cancer treatments.