“Everyday is like a blank canvas. You know you can paint it anyway you want it. You can draw black clouds, you can make the sun shine. Color in a rainbow, or use black and white. Open up your eyes, and your imagination.” - Laura Annabelle
Growing up, I didn't have a lot of healthy ways to express myself and most often it showed through negative behaviors but I realized when I was able to do art I found myself feeling calm and able to let go of things that I had bottled up mentally. As humans, we can't control everything that happens in life but we can control what we do in art, so take advantage of it!
While expressing our own creativity is beneficial to us in more ways than one, Art can go deeper than many people realize. Art can be about more than just being crafty, it can be about self-discovery, self-esteem, empowerment, and emotional release. At this point, you may be thinking “how?” Let me explain.
Self-Discovery
Creating art can help to unravel many layers. And the more you unravel, the deeper your understanding of yourself gets and can help you to realize things that have been hiding in your subconscious mind. In the long run this can help you to envision a beautiful life you want, based on your own individual needs, wants, and wishes.
Self-Esteem When you make art and watch the process from start to finish it can help you to gain a feeling of self-accomplishment, which can be valuable in improving your confidence and self-appreciation. If expressing yourself through creating artwork can make you feel good about yourself, why not give it a try?
Emotional Release
Art can give you a healthy space to express and let go of your feelings and fears in a very unique way. Sometimes we all struggle with expressing our emotions in a healthy way through words. Creating many different forms of art has been a positive outlet for me personally to let go of negative emotions and express myself without needing words, and I hope that it can be something that helps you too!
Here are a few art related ideas that I’d recommend to help get you started:
Tree Drawing: Imagine yourself as a tree. The roots will be filled with descriptions of your strengths and your good qualities, while your leaves can be the things that you'd like to change.
Design a postcard: Are you still upset or angry at somebody? Create a postcard that expresses how you feel towards them, though you don't have to ever send it.
A past, present and future self-portrait: This painting or drawing should reflect where you have been, who you are today, and how you picture yourself in the future.
Reasons to be happy Collage: Make a collage of things that bring you happiness in life. This could be a photo of a friend, family or even your favorite quotes. Get creative! You can use this to reflect back on when you're feeling upset to remind you of all the reasons you have to be happy.
Mind Map: Make a visual aid of your thought process, be thinking of each step it takes for you to generate a thought. This can help you to understand how your mind works.
Thanks for reading! ~Lauren Ainsley
Sources: www.rtor.org, Guest Author for. “Creativity and Recovery: The Mental Health Benefits of Art Therapy.” Resources To Recover, Laurel House, 29 July 2020, www.rtor.org/2018/07/10/benefits-of-art-therapy/.
Annabelle, Laura. The Art Of Self Expression, 2017, medium.com/our-creative-time/the-art-of-self-expression-f230888845db.