With a large piece of paper draw, or doodle your breath. First try short breaths that only fill the top of your lungs. Then try drawing a long, relaxed breath with a deep exhale, the kind you take when you become very aware that you are breathing. After you’re done you can fill in the lines using colors that match the energy of each breath.
7 Art Therapy activities to do at home
If you’re reading this you’re probably well aware of the benefits of art therapy.
Art making in and of itself is a form of communication. Whether you’re aware of it or not, the moment you create a piece of art you are communicating a message, consciously and subconsciously. This is why engaging in art therapy can such an illuminating process. The visual language used during art-making is often symbolic and rich with metaphors. When you are in session with an art therapist you will begin to make meaning from your creations by exploring the symbols and metaphors that come up in the art.
However, if you are wanting to dip your feet in art therapy and aren’t ready to try an art therapy session, here are some things you can try at home right now. I’ve deliberately chosen activities that don’t require fancy materials, most of the supplies you would probably already have at home.
Create a nice space for yourself, play your favorite music, light a candle, and let’s get started!
1. Create an empowerment poster
On a blank piece of paper or a large poster cut up images, words and quotes from magazines that inspires you to live your best life. Once you’re done, put your poster in a place you can see every day.
The art therapy mandala circle is a representation of “wholeness” and can used as a mirror of the self. Creating mandalas can help bring our entire sense of self into awareness. It allows us to acknowledge and begin to work with all parts of ourselves, not only the parts we like and want to show the world, but also the parts we hide. All you have to do is draw a circle. Then take a moment and close your eyes, thinking about your inner world right now. When you’re ready, doodle spontaneously. Let the image take on a life of it’s own. Fill in the entire circle with images, symbols, colors. You could also create a nature mandala using leaves, rocks, petals and flowers – this can be particularly grounding and a nice activity to do with kids.
3. Paint a response
Paint in response to your current favorite song. Try moving your paint brush at the beat of the song, and then tracing it later. The choice is yours!
Take a picture of yourself with a neutral face. Don’t try to make your face to look nice, this isn’t a selfie to put on social media. This is just a neutral picture of your face. Look at the picture beyond your criticisms and judgements. Look at your face as if you’ve seen it for the very first time, as if it’s not yours. What calls to you the most? Now draw yourself as if seeing yourself for the first time.
Art teacher lists 9 art therapy activities anyone can practice at home for better mental health
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You don’t need to be an artist to benefit from art therapy. Here are 9 art therapy activities you can do at home in this lockdown to boost your mental health.
New Delhi , UPDATED: Aug 8, 2020 17:05 IST
Whether you are Picasso or born with two left hands, research proves that making art lowers cortisol levels, a stress-related hormone in the human body. Irrespective of a persons’ skills, doing art is bound to be a therapeutic experience.
The pandemic-led isolation has further pushed us into the deep realms of our thoughts and imagination, a place perhaps we all had neglected for long. The role of art has become more crucial in our lives as a medium to address emotional and psychological issues.
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You don’t need to be an artist to get art therapy
Lack of artistic skills tops the list of reasons why the majority of people assume that art as a therapy is not meant for them.
You don’t need to be an artist to reap benefits from the healing process of art therapy (using art to treat psychological disorders) as it is the experience to create without worrying about judgement.
Many art therapy exercises can be done with basic supplies and do not require any skill. It is not meant to be product-oriented and certainly not about show of skills either.
Its’ aim is to calm, motivate and make an individual happy. The result of art therapy quintessentially is to bring satisfaction and happiness to people who are overburdened with stress and worry.
Self-care art therapy activities are done to brain-dump excessive flow of thoughts and distressing emotions and can be practiced at any time of the day, preferably before sleeping.
Whether it is about venting out the stress of everyday life or making art a healing and therapeutic experience, various activities can be practiced in the comfort of our homes.
Here is a list of fun activities that you can do at home for some art therapy:
1. Turn a Journal entry into a piece of art, by drawing your mood or give shape, texture or colour to your fear. Increase your metacognitive awareness and make your thinking visible by communicating your inner most feelings.
2. Experiment a no tool painting by printing impressions with fingers, hands, feet or just blowing, splashing or dripping paints. Ease the stresses of life by getting the chaos inside your head down on paper.
3. Improve the levels of creativity by drawing with your non-dominant hand, unlearn your style and strengthen connections between your brains’ hemispheres.
4. Painting with scissors is like collaging your difficult emotions using paper and magazine cutouts and about processing that unacknowledged feeling.
5. Automatic drawing is a sure shot stress buster with spontaneous doodles appearing from the top of your head.
6. Zen-doodling is great way to make peace with anxiety. Practice mindfulness, tune out outside noises and cut through the clutter in the mind.
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7. Blind contour drawings let you go of outcomes, practice self -compassion and detachment.
8. Paint Music and discover new worlds of experience with Synaesthesia as abstract art helps to address the emotions that remain relatively opaque and unfathomed.
9. Create a metaphorical narrative with Ink Blot Art and let your artwork reveal some interesting surprises.
Art therapy exercises extend beyond creation, so make sure to engross yourself in self-reflection during and after practicing it.
– Article by Manisha Lal, Visual Art Educator (CBSE & IB DP), Shiv Nadar School, Gurugram
