How Art Can Change us

4 creative practices to increase your sense of Well Being

In all of my creativity coaching over the years, I have witnessed the amazing transformation that takes place even for those with little or no art experience. Opening up to the art process without having the pressure of an end goal in mind, is therapeutic and deeply grounding. The way I teach is to facilitate the creativity that is already within everyone, waiting to burst forth! Try the following 4 art exercises and notice how you FEEL during and after doing them!

Meditative Art Exercise #1

Write down the first word that pops into your brain in the middle of a page in your sketchbook.

Take a pencil and/or colored pencils and doodle around or on top of the word.

 Think about the colors and marks that you associate with this word.

 Have fun!!Use whatever materials you are inspired to use: paint, markers, crayons, pastels etc. 

Meditative Art Exercise #2

Sit in a chair with a sketchbook and marker in front of you.

Close your eyes and gently find the breath in your body.

Feel the breath entering and leaving the body, cool on the way in and warm on the way out.

Accompany your breath as you would a dear friend on a walk.

Sit for about 10 breaths or however many you feel that you need. 

Open your eyes. Imagine what your breath came upon on its journey through your body: a thought, a feeling, an obstacle…Make a map of this journey in your sketchbook with words, lines, shapes. THERE IS NO WRONG WAY!

Notice how you feel after doing this!

Meditative Art Exercise #3

Go outside and collect some interesting shaped leaves/stones/bark. 

Trace the shapes over and over on a page until they overlap and create new organic shapes. 

Use color (watercolor, pastels, colored pencils, whatever you have) to explore new shapes that the overlapping has created. 

Meditative Art Exercise #4

In a sketchbook, write the initials of your name.

Find 10 different ways to combine them into an abstract composition.

Try changing their scale, orientation, dividing them, repeating…

If you’d like you can choose your favorite and paint it.

testimonial

“I have to thank Kathy for reawakening my artistic voice. By taking The Art Process journey I realized I was missing part of myself by not pursuing my art for many many years. Kathy ignited the flame I thought I had lost!
I can’t thank her enough for showing me the way and giving me confidence to keep on creating!”-Denni K.