The Healing Canvas: Art Therapy at Home for Focus, Mindfulness and Emotional System Regulation
Holistic healing and self-care, have become a priority for many of us in this fast-paced, often overwhelming and over-stimulating world. Art therapy has emerged as a powerful tool for cultivating focus, calming the mind and promoting nervous system regulation. But you don’t need to wait or pay for an Art Therapist to start gaining benefits.
Engaging in art therapy at home can help facilitate creativity, access a meditative state and encourage you to find solace in self-exploration and self-expression. By creatively expressing yourself, you can tap into your emotions and gently release them. Keep reading to delve deeper into the benefits of art therapy, explore its impact on focus and mental health and try out a few simple techniques to get you started.
Understanding the Power of Art Therapy
Art therapy is a therapeutic approach that utilises the expressive and creative processes of art-making to access and improve mental, physical and emotional well-being. By engaging in various art forms, it can provide a safe and non-judgmental space for explorations of thoughts, emotions and experiences. It also allows for the natural flow of energy to be released from inside of you outwards onto whatever art form you are engaging with.
Art Therapy doesn’t require you to be ‘artistic’ but it does engage the artistic process and tap into the subconscious mind to access inner wisdom. It is through this self-discovery, that pathways are open for healing to take place. Art therapy provides an outlet to access, express and process emotions that you are unable to verbally articulate, such as traumatic, stressful or anxiety-provoking events or situations. Art therapy can also facilitate processing grief, build resilience and promote self-awareness and self-esteem. But let’s take it one step at a time and start with cultivating focus.
Cultivating Focus through Art Therapy
Focusing the Mind
The beauty of art therapy is its ability to immerse you in the act of art-making and take you out of your stressful thoughts by focusing your attention on the present moment. The act of intentional focus on the creative process, becomes an act of mindfulness, dampening the mental chatter. Shifting your attention to the here and now can provide relief from stress, anxiety and racing thoughts, fostering a sense of clarity and calm. With regular practice, the mindful benefits of art therapy can extend beyond the moment of art-making and into your everyday life.
Engaging the Senses
The physicality of art-making by its nature, engages multiple senses, which can enhance concentration and staying in the present. The exciting aspect of art therapy, whether that being through drawing, painting, sculpting or in other creative outlets such as drama and dance, is the activation of visual, tactile and auditory senses. Again, these multisensory experiences anchor you in the present, helping cultivate mindfulness and sharpened focus.
Calming the Mind with Art Therapy
Expressive Outlet
So, what do you do with all that pent-up unexpressed tension and emotions, swimming around your body and mind? Yep, art therapy it away.
Art therapy can serve as a safe and cathartic outlet for releasing and expressing these feelings and emotions that may be difficult to articulate into words.
Through creative expression, we can channel our innermost thoughts and feelings onto the canvas, paper or whatever other art form. It is the active process of externalisation of emotions that can provide a sense of relief and release of tension from the body, thereby also quietening the mind. With less tension and a calmer mind, emotional and physical well-being may be the byproduct.
Mindful Art-Making
By now, I’m sure you’re well aware of and probably sick of hearing about ‘mindfulness’ being the almighty saviour of our mental health. There seems to be a lot of misinformation about what mindfulness is and isn’t and how it can benefit us.
The simplest way of looking at it is, that being mindful means being fully aware and present in the moment. Sensing your body in the room, on the chair or wherever you are. It means being aware and curious about the chatter going on in your mind. Becoming still enough to sense the sensations in your body and trying not to judge any of it. Not an easy task in this fast-paced and often chaotic world.
This is where engaging in art-making can benefit us by facilitating being mindful, and as a result of this intentional focus, connecting us to a calmer and more grounded state. By being fully present in the moment and observing our thoughts and sensations without judgement, we create a safe space for inner peace and tranquillity to emerge.
The rhythmic movements of brushstrokes, the flow of the paint or your body through dance, can induce a meditative state. The physical force of manipulating clay, or pounding drums, can facilitate the release of stress, anger and tension. The gentle swirling through sand can cultivate peace. There are no rules or limitations to what form of art-making you have to engage in, in order to gain benefit from the creative process. It is the creative expression that works the magic. Keep experimenting until you find the most enjoyable and relaxing form of art-making, that will keep you engaged and offer you the most benefit.
Healing the Nervous System through Art Therapy
Stress Reduction
Art therapy has been found to lower stress levels and activate the body’s relaxation response. When we engage in the creative process, our focus shifts from things that are causing us stress, towards the act of creation. It’s hard to be focused on creative expression and hold equal focus on stressful things. This shift allows for the nervous system to recalibrate, take a breather and restore balance and as a result, calm the autonomic nervous system, decrease heart rate, decrease cortisol levels and increase a sense of calm and well-being. Sounds good, doesn’t it?
Emotional Regulation
Everyone experiences emotions, every day. Whether we consider them positive or negative or want them to show up, they are a normal part of our human existence. Art therapy helps regulate emotions by providing a constructive and healthy outlet for emotional expression.
Art-making can help process and release pent-up emotions, foster emotional resilience and promote a sense of inner peace. Through the creative process of art making, the reward centres in the brain are activated, releasing endorphins and promoting a positive mood.
Art Therapy Techniques for Home Practice
So, are you ready to give art therapy at home a go?
Why yes, I am!
Brilliant 😊 Here are a few good starters for you to try.
But remember, there are no set rules or limitations on what type of art form or creative expression you have to engage in, for you to gain emotional and mental health benefits. It’s the intentional focus on creativity itself that leads to the overall healthful benefit, as already discussed.
Vision Board & Collage Therapy
Remember those school days of sticking your tongue out the side of your mouth as you were immersed in concentrating on perfectly cutting out the magazine images so that you could be awarded the ‘Safe Scissors Use’ certificate? Yeah, me neither, but I’m sure it was a right of passage for most of us.
Time to use those scissors skills and set up a vision board using collage materials. This is a great way for you to set a goal intention or visualise a dream.
You will be filling your vision board with pictures, symbols, words and magazine cut-outs of images that resonate with you. The intention is for you to gain clarity and motivate you to stay on track with your vision and goal.
The objective is to repeatedly look at your vision board, which should inspire positive emotions within you. And if it doesn’t, this would be a perfect time for you to explore why not.
Using collage to create a vision board allows you to explore your subconscious mind and create a meaningful connection between the images and your emotions.
What you’ll need to get started:
· A bunch of old magazines to cut out images, words, or shapes
· Photocopied photo images
· Scissors, ruler, glue and pin tacks
· A solid cardboard of whatever size you feel you need
· Decorative embellishments—glitter, stones, feather etc
· Suitable quiet space to work on- cover to protect from any spillage
Think of a goal or dream you wish to see come to fruition. Could be material, educational, career or an emotional/mental milestone. Hold that image in your mind for a few minutes. Close your eyes and concentrate on seeing and feeling it. See yourself having achieved your intention.
How does it make you feel… now open your eyes and start randomly cutting out images that “speak” to you. Set them up on your board in the order that feels right for you. Once you feel you have completed the board, stand back and appreciate what you have accomplished.
Display your vision board somewhere private, look at it every day and tap into that feeling of having achieved it. Keep that focus of positive intention and feeling, to keep you motivated to work towards your goal.
Mandala Art
Mandala means ‘circle’ in Sanskrit, which has often been used as a sacred symbol throughout the centuries as a way to practice meditation, and prayer and promote healing. More recently, mandala art making has become a staple in art therapy for its ability to restore balance, reduce stress, lower pain and promote a calmer, more focused mind.
Art Therapists use mandalas to try and better understand their clients’ state of mind and to help process powerful and difficult emotions within a safe space. The circle motive often represents wholeness, health, connection and harmony throughout the cycle of life.
For this activity, you can draw or paint a mandala in whatever colour and form you are drawn to. Start from the centre and work your way outwards, focusing on the repetitive and symmetrical nature of the design. Doesn’t have to be perfect, but allow yourself to be immersed in the repetitive pattern-making to keep your focus, which will foster a sense of relaxation and harmony. You could add dots to create the outlines and patterns, for a deeper, meditative focus.
What you’ll need to get started:
· Different coloured pens, markers, pencils or paint & thin brushes/toothpicks/cotton buds- for dot marking
· Thick paper, or canvas
· Compass/ruler, if you wish to be precise in your circular patterns (no need though)
· Solid surface
· A quite space
If you don’t feel like starting from scratch, you could also use colouring books with images of mandalas to facilitate the benefits of the repetitive circular patterns to aid in keeping your mind focused and calm.
Drawing & Doodling Freeform
Engaging in freeform drawing and doodling without any predetermined concept or outcome is a great way to allow your emotions and thoughts to surface in a safe and controlled manner. By allowing your brush, pen or fingers intuitively to move across the page or canvas, you can spontaneously release thoughts, feelings and desires. Later you can stand back and examine what you have drawn and gain a deeper awareness of yourself and your inner programs and thoughts.
What you’ll need to get started:
· Different coloured pens, pencils, pastels, crayons or paint
· Paper or canvas, or any other suitable surface
· A quiet space to spread out
· If you feel like it, add some calming or inspiring music to play in the background. You could draw in tune with the beat to add variation to this technique.
For additional benefits, you could draw or doodle using both hands at the same time. Bilateral drawing/doodling has often been used by therapists to calm the mind, decrease anxiety and bring the person back to the here and now during trauma work. It helps to regulate the nervous system, switching off the alarm and engaging the parasympathetic nervous system.
Shake, Rattle and Move it
Expressive body movements, through dance, shaking or intuitive movements are a great way of releasing tension and balancing the energy within your body. You don’t need to think too much about any technique, just put on some music and start swaying or bouncing up and down and then slowly tune into your body and follow its direction.
Close your eyes and move slowly, allowing your body to guide you to where it feels tension. Then allow your body to guide you into stretching a certain way, bouncing or shaking to release it. You may at first find this a little awkward or feel silly, but just go with the ‘flow’, kind of like yoga poses without a specific process.
At times this may connect you with deep emotions and you may find yourself crying or trembling—go with it, let it flow freely (so long as you feel safe to do so and don’t become overwhelmed).
**Disclaimer: Whenever dealing with any form of deep trauma or complex mental health issues, please seek the guidance of a professional therapist first.
Final Thoughts
Art therapy at home offers a transformative journey of self-discovery, focus and healing. You don’t need to wait to get started engaging in artistic expressions to tap into your creative potential and calm your mind, promote nervous system regulation and gain emotional and mental health well-being.
Whether through focused attention, emotional release, or the cultivation of mindfulness, art therapy provides a gateway to inner peace, self-expression and personal growth.
Embrace your creative spirit, let loose those artistic vibes and embark on a therapeutic art-making, emotional healing and mental mind chatter-busting journey, from the comfort of your own home.
Happy Arting 😊
Starlah Rose
If you're eager to explore more engaging blogs, why not check out; Exploring the Depths: The Transformative Power of Therapeutic Journaling (starlahrose.com)
If you're prepared to elevate your healing journey and embrace Therapeutic Journaling, click on the image above to discover my 3-Step Process to Improved Emotional Wellbeing.
Contact
hello@starlahrose.com
© 2024 Starlah Rose
All Rights Reserved
SUBSCRIBE Now to Receive a Free
"How to Be Mindful in 7 Days" Workbook.
By signing up you also agree to recieve my newsletter when I have interesting stories and blogs to share- straight to your inbox before everyone else
Contact
hello@starlahrose.com
© 2024 Starlah Rose
All Rights Reserved