6 Simple Approaches to Combine Art and Wellness
For the love of wellness, we need to break down false expectations about who can and can't make meaningful art. Because the truth is, art is a beautiful, therapeutic tool that anyone can use as a form of self-care to boost mood, connect with your creative side, feel grounded and positive, or even get into a meditative zone.
No matter what you want to achieve (from increased energy and excitement to feelings of relaxation and contentment), art therapy can make you feel happy and at peace within yourself. We all have creative talent. It’s part of being human. We just need to connect with it. The trick is to worry less about the result and feel present on the journey.
For 6 must-try therapeutic activities that combine art and wellness, keep on reading.
1) Get Primal
Research has found that connecting with nature can encourage calmness, joy, concentration, happiness, and creativity. To have fun, reconnect with the natural world, and embrace your primal side through art, you can use natural materials as your art muse and tools. For example, different dirt and clays can be mixed and used as paint, while sticks can be your brush or pen. At the beach? Use seashells, pebbles, and driftwood to create a mosaic in the sand.
2) Reuse, Recycle, and Rediscover
Finding small ways to reuse and recycle old items can be a mindful way of introducing sustainability and wellness into our everyday lives. Plus, it provides the perfect opportunity to be creative. You can bring new life to something cherished that’s been collecting dust. Or repurpose something old into something meaningful and inspiring. This can be as simple as turning an old teacup into a colorful succulent pot or repainting a table to give it a brighter, new life.
3) Use What You Have
Cultivating gratitude is a mindful practice. It shifts your perspective to seeing the positive things in life, feeling appreciative for what's around you. To celebrate these feelings, instead of investing in new materials, use a found or made object that’s already in your reach. A toothbrush can create interesting texture with paint or clay. Bling out a hat or coat with broken jewelery. Make it your own by expressing what you're feeling and seeing the beauty in everything.
4) Let Positivity Be Your Muse
Cut blank cardstock or paper into either squares or rectangles, around 4 in x 6 in; as many as you wish. Write on each one a mantra, affirmation, or something that you are grateful for. Then, based on what you wrote down, use whatever materials (paints, colored pencils, oil pastels, etc.) to express what you wrote and how it makes you feel. Explore whatever shapes or colors feel appropriate. Be free! It’s your expression, with no judgement. You can then use these cards as bookmarks or place them around your home as sparks of positivity.
5) Celebrate Significance
A collage of photos and meaningful trinkets is an art project that can help us connect with joyful moments and make something new out of something old. To create a multi-media collage, you can use old photographs that spark great memories. If you prefer not to use old photos, you can make copies to use. The material you attach your items to should be sturdy, such as poster board or even wood. Attach the photos and found objects with glue, paint, tape, or anything else that will keep them in place. Explore different mixed media techniques such as layering and adding different colors and textures to create something uniquely personal.
6) Create Connections
The beauty and timelessness of art lies in its ability to connect us with one another. You can get together with your kids, friends, or partner to work on a piece of art together. There are no limitations! You can collaborate on just about anything, from refurbishing an old coffee table to papier-mâché to finger painting. Creating together creates more meaningful bonds, which makes your self-care efforts even better.
