Have you ever wondered what does it means to "simply enjoy the process"?
I have been doing a few art therapy sessions with a professional to help my anxiety. One of my favourite things during these sessions is to get out my art materials and mindlessly move my hand across the paper. It definitely doesn't look like something I'd want to show others. But the process is such a stress reliever! Here's a little exercise that you can do to make your process feel more therapeutic.
Get a large sheet of paper, some crayons/ pencils and simply scribble to your heart's content! You can even close your eyes while you do it. This spontaneous drawing has proven to relieve stress, making it easier to concentrate or attend to things in a better way.
I have incorporated this exercise into my daily life now and it has helped me a great deal to relax, organise my thoughts or just be me when things get too stressful. For this reason, I always have a little sketchbook and a pen/pencil near me so I can grab it for a quick stress reliever.
As an artist and tutor, one of the most important things I mention in my classes is that we enjoy the process of creating art and not focus on the end product. However, Most of the topics of my classes are very illustrative and it could be hard to just enjoy the process without being too conscious about how your illustrations look when you're done with them.
However, This simple process of mindless scribbling has greatly helped me to be more free and bold with the paintings I create.
"What keeps my heart awake is colourful silence"
-Claude Monet
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