In today’s times Art is a forgotten tool which contains the power to restore and rejuvenate mental peace in difficult times. The year 2020 threw some unprecedented calamities at the face of humanity. The chaos and clamour brought by the pandemic has affected not only the physical health of humans but has deeply scarred the mental health of millions across the globe which disrupted the emotional balance of one’s life.
People are suffering with extreme mental pressure to follow a routine in these mundane times. The fatigue of being unproductive has eclipsed the little achievements of our daily normal life.
But every dark night is followed by a beautiful morning. These challenging times call for some creative and out of the box catharsis which will help us blow the steam. Taking out time from our day to engage in innovative activities such as painting, and drawing can have a positive impact on the mental wellbeing. Let us discuss how art as a form of activity can impact one’s life and aid us in keeping the negative vibes at bay.
WHAT DOES ART DO TO YOUR BRAIN?
Art in some form of sketching, drawing, painting or just simple doodling communicates the feelings and expressions of an individual. This process of self- expression provides the individual new personal insights into his or her life which may have been suppressed for years.
Art helps people to discover uncovered emotions, build strong self-esteem, cope with pandemic stress and develop a deep sense of self-awareness. Like meditation it can clear out the negative thoughts in your head and stir positive vibrations. When one is deeply involved in his or her creations, the brain channelizes all its energy on focusing on the piece of creation.
Have you noticed yourself being wide awake even at 3 am at night? Are you binge eating constantly the whole day? If you have observed these changes in your sleep and appetite, then one of the most potential causes of this can be stress. The constant anxiety caused by the dreadful news of the outside world can cause regular episodes of unease and panic which persist thought out the day.
Penning done all your emotions in the form of designs and colours allows you some breathing space from all the havoc.When you become the master of your creation it empowers you with control and prevents you from wasting your energy on anxiety.
One study of 2016 concluded that, adults who engaged themselves in 45 mins of art therapy experienced a sense of relaxation and also produced lower levels of stress hormone called cortisol. (Girija Kaimal, Kendra Ray & Juan Muniz (2016) Reduction of Cortisol Levels and Participants’ Responses Following Art Making, Art Therapy, 33:2, 74-80)
ART-ENCHANCING MINDFULLNESS
The process of self-reflection is a tedious and a difficult road to follow but not with art as your companion. Your masterpiece on paper can spill out volumes about yourself if you have eye for it. Drawing or colouring can divert you from the unhelping and destructive thoughts that randomly pop up in your head.
While one is involved in one’s work of colours they tend to remain focused on your hand moment, on the shades of the colours, the strokes of the pencils and eventually realize the negativity drifting away.
For example, one can portray their gloomy mood in the form of dark clouds or even strong lines to vent out the anger. Anyways this form of self expression aids you to understand your mood better and flush out the toxic feelings in a constructive manner.
Tips and tricks
We can employ little tips to make our daily art therapy more productive.
1) One must sit in a calm and comfortable area away from the clutter and mess. This reinforces a clear state of mind.
2) One must try to mute their phones and switch off the Tv as these serve as sources of negativity.
3)Listening to peaceful tunes or the chant of Om can be very beneficial as these sounds calm one’s nerves.
4) You can take an inspiration picture from Pinterest as this will help you follow some goal.
If you need to jump start on sketching or painting may be these courses will help you.
