Creative art for better health

Creative art and its many benefits

 Creative art for better health, it helps in so many ways and for different walks of life. It is not only artists who get a creative block, it is all of us. Our mental health may have had a knock, and we find it hard to shake it off. Maybe we have tried meditation, but our minds keep racing down a highway, and the brakes keep failing miserably. We may think our mental health is “fine”. However anxieties may carve away at our insides to the point where physical illness manifests.

 This is where creative art comes in. Creative art is not about being the next Michelangelo or Monet. It is about letting our hands create without too much input from our brain. A way to calm our minds and enter a peri-meditative state. You are still awake, but you let your mind be still. It is out of this state new creativity is born. You may find new ways of doing something, writing e-mails, or cleaning the loo. Whatever you do you deserve to do it with a healthy productive mind.

Creative art for better health is for everybody!

Imagination, something we need to reignite

 Imagination is something that is taken from us when we are kids, “stop imagining things”. If we only realised how damaging that phrase could be. Why should we stop? It is human nature to be inquisitive, to find new solutions. That’s how we survived in nature, it was and still is a skill. Creativity and inquisitiveness are not things that fit in, in our society. It isn’t something that everyone “should” have, it makes people uncomfortable and uncontrollable. When children start school, they are taught to draw within the lines. Picasso didn’t draw within the lines. What if we had told him that his art wasn’t what was expected by a 4-year-old. Let alone a grown man?

Thomas Edison and thinking outside the box

 One story that sticks in my mind is that of Thomas Edison. Thomas Edison’s mother Nancy Matthews Elliott received a letter from Thomas’ school just a few months into his education. As she read it to her son, she told him that he no longer needed to attend school. That he was far advanced for what they could do for him. That he was a very intelligent and curious child and from now on she should assist him in his learning. She set out to teach him all she could about reading, writing and arithmetic. As Thomas had such a curious nature, she inspired him to read about things that was of interest to him. He was a staunch believer in self-improvement and kept on teaching himself new things his whole life.

 Now sit back for a while. That letter didn’t say that Thomas was intelligent. On the contrary, it said that there was no point in him coming to school. That he was a total imbecile and wouldn’t learn a thing anyway. What if Thomas’ mother hadn’t encouraged him to live his outside-the-box life? Would we still light candles at night?

Is modern society to blame?

 As children we are robbed of our imagination and our creativity is heavily bridled. We become robots that don’t ask too many questions, and made to fit into preconstructed moulds. As we grow up, we realise that a certain amount of creativity is needed. We get stuck because we are taught to stick within the lines.

 Creative art will help you get unstuck. The first exercise I would like to suggest is, all about black lines and colour. Draw lots of squiggly lines on a piece of paper with a black pen. Round off the corners with black and proceed to colour the empty spaces. The less thought you put into it the better. Put some meditation music on and go for it. If you tend to get stuck in thought, keep a notebook by your side to jot down any intrusive thoughts. This is a very meditative exercise and is perfect if you find it hard to meditate.

Creative art exercises to try

 Get acquainted with watercolours. The way watercolours play on the paper depending on pigment and amount of water is truly mesmerising. Just make samples of the colours you have. When confident proceed to mix colours to witness how new colours are created. Continue by aimlessly jotting different colours on a pre-wetted paper. It is worth the extra money to get a good watercolour pad, please find recommendations below. Try to find patterns in the colour and mark them out. Maybe you will see trees, animals, flowers, clouds, landscape features or maybe a face. Remember this is not about making something pretty, it is about tickling your fantasies and feeding your imagination. Creative art will help you feel better as well as give you the ability to solve the problems that previously held you hostage.

 Inspiration

 I believe the best place to find inspiration is in Nature. You will find intricate patterns and an endless range of colours and shapes. Taking a walk in nature is in itself very good for both body and soul. Attempt a grounding exercise whilst in nature. Maybe you even feel like taking a few steps without shoes and socks.

Bring nature with you home.

Leaves, feathers, and sticks make beautiful decorations. Leaves also works beautifully as stamps. Why not try the creative art exercise with sage leaves! Dip some sage leaves (or other leaves of your liking) in some white paint. I use gesso as it makes a perfect base if you want to use watercolours on top. Press the leaves onto coloured paper (I use black). You can make it look like a forest or make a pattern to your own liking. Decorate with watercolours. This video will show you the steps.

Most of all HAVE FUN (and chuck those limiting beliefs to one side.

Recommended artists material

Since you are now officially starting your artistic journey, you may indeed want to invest in some artists materials. You definitely do not need all at once and please start off with what you have at home.

Watercolours from Winsor & Newton

Posca paint pens (make sure the set you choose have black)

Watercolour pad

Acrylics

Canvas for acrylics

Brushpens

Ohuhu Markers

Bristol paper for markers

Fineliners

Once you get into creative art the materials and accessories multiply. Make sure you are comfortable with a certain supply before you go all in. Especially markers can get very expensive. Are they worth it? The feeling of a good marker is something special, Ohuhu is a good brand, there are deals to be had. The top of the range Copic markers are wonderful but so is the price.

Disclosures