drawing for anxiety Archives - Mindful Art Studio

At the end of the day, you’re tired, you’re stressed, and it’s too easy to reach for a glass of wine, watch tv, or get caught up for hours on social media. While brainless activity is sometimes important for letting go, when it’s your only go-to for winding down, it can make you feel more empty and bored than when you started. This is where creative self-care comes in.

Whether you consider yourself creative or not, humans are creative by nature. Because we are all creative, when we feel out of balance, creative acts can help. Even if you don’t see yourself as “artsy,” art has been shown to have a calming effect on the brain. If you just can’t believe that you are creative, check out this amazing talk with neuroscientist Rex Jung, a specialist in creativity, for the scientific low-down.

Careful, repetitive drawing is one of the main ways I use art to slow down my mind and body when I feel anxious or upset. Of course I also do it when I’m feeling calm, simply for the enjoyment of making something.

Doodle and Destress

Try this: Put on some relaxing music, grab some paper or your art journal, a gel pen, Sharpie, or ball point pen, and try one of the doodle ideas below.

Trace a cup or a bowl to create a large circle in the middle of your page – this will be your drawing space. Experiment with keeping your lines and shapes small and close together so that you have to work carefully. As I often tell my art mentoring clients, part of the key is to give yourself the gift of time and permission to create. You deserve to enjoy both the process and the product.

Remember that anything repeated in a regularized way immediately looks much more interesting, even if the lines aren’t “perfect.” Look closely, you’ll find imperfections in my art here. I find that stepping back or holding my work at a distance gives me a better perspective on what it really looks like and helps me stop perseverating on small imperfections. I do this often as I work. (Funny how that’s like life, huh?)

Here’s some shapes you might try doodling with:

1. Bubbles

2. Triangles

3. Waves (drawn really close together – this looks cool)

4. Tiny leaf shapes – you can turn these into leaves, or make a small dot for a fish eye

5. Horizontal lines, overlapped with vertical lines

6. Simple flowers with 3 – 5 petals

7. Spirals

8. Squares

9. Short lines, long lines, curvy lines, wavy lines

10. Dots – SO MANY DOTS!

11. Overlapping ovals to create a “chain”

12. Repeated “V” shapes, “C” shapes, “L” shapes, “U” shapes

13. Skinny ovals or fat ovals

14. “Checkerboard” patterns – make a grid and color in every other square

15. Fish scales: Draw a series of “U” shapes right next to each other and in overlapping rows

Doodle slow, chill out fast. #selfcare Click To Tweet

For this page, I drew half circles that overlapped. Then I drew lines from the midpoint of the half-circle, radiating out to the edge. It took me a long time to do this accurately, but again, that’s the point!

Use art as medicine: Doodle to destress #artheals #happycreativelife Click To Tweet

I like doodling over painted pages with my gel pens to give a fun pop of color. It’s very satisfying to watch the patterns appear.

Art washes from the soul, the dust of everyday life - Picasso #artheals Click To Tweet

So, what do you think? Drop into the comments and let us know. How about posting your doodle in our private Facebook community, Creative Self-Care?

If you are excited about these techniques and want to learn more about how art journaling can help you with your feelings, check out my classes, or individualized help with creative mentoring.

*The product links in this post are affiliate links. This means that if you choose to click and purchase something, at no extra cost to you, you’ll support the work of Mindful Art Studio. I only share products I truly love and believe in. Happy creating!

Dear Wonderful, Creative You,

I don’t normally like to engage in “telling secrets,” but today I will, because I want to share three artistic secrets with you. Don’t tell anyone. Unless you like them. Or find them useful, or fun, or entertaining. Then please tell them to everyone you meet, scream it from your rooftop, and tattoo it to your forehead. Okay?

Artistic Secret #1: Everyone Can Draw

Doing art as creative self-care for this many years has taught me so much about myself, my feelings, and life. One of the things it’s taught me is that “art” is not as tightly defined as the general population seems to think it is. Most people say, “I can’t draw.” The secret is, I know they can. Of course not all of us can draw like DaVinci, but in my experience with students, most people can draw a lot better than they think they can, especially when they open up their idea of what constitutes a drawing or a “good drawing.”

Everyone can draw, you just don't know it yet. Click To Tweet

Artistic Secret #2: Drawing Can Be Calming

When you are non-judgmental and open up your definition of what a “good drawing” is, drawing can be a very calming activity, especially for those of us who get a bit high strung or anxious. (Ahem. Who? Me? )

So how about it? Would you be willing to try some very simple art exercises and see whether or not they have a positive impact on your mood? As long as you can hold a pen, you can do it right.

As long as you can hold a pen, you can draw. Click To Tweet

Artistic Secret #3: Your Inner Critic is Just Scared

If you think your inner critic might get in the way of you approaching this with an open mind, you might want to first do the inner critic exercise from the Starting Your Art Journal e-book. You can find it for free here. Sometimes we all need some help getting our fears to step aside before we bravely try something new. Now let’s do some art exercises for relaxation!

Tell your inner critic to take a break for a minute, then run to the nearest pen and paper and draw before it notices! Click To Tweet

Drawing Supplies

You can draw with whatever you’ve got at home – a pen or pencil and computer paper work just fine. If you are looking to get some of the same effects as I do in the pages below, or getting some new supplies will help you feel more inspired, you can find the Micron pen I use here, and the small Moleskine journal here.

Drawing Exercise: Drawing Lines

I find this exercise really helpful when I want to draw but feel uninspired, unfocused, or overwhelmed. I like to watch the lines appear across the page. I give myself permission to draw as fast or slow as feels good in the moment. Usually if I start out drawing fast and sloppy, after a few minutes I’ll find my lines getting neater and closer together, my breathing slows down, and I can think straight again. I particularly like this one when I feel really anxious. It’s grounding for me. Does this work for you?

While it seems silly, I really like the look of these pages in my journals. Sometimes I’ll leave them as is, and at others, I will use them as a background for writing, painting, or collage.

Drawing Exercise: Drawing Circles

This is one of my new favorite drawing techniques. I’ve been playing with it in my journals and in my paintings on canvas. I draw tiny little circles and barely make any decisions about where they are going. Instead, I just observe as they appear and migrate across the page.

My hand seems to pick up a rhythm and I follow along. Making the jagged lines in between which the circles exist suggests all sorts of natural things to me – maps, microscopic photography, or growth on the underside of a leaf. What do you see?

If you like these Micron pens you see pictured, you can find them here.*

Drawing Exercise: Blind Contour Drawing

Recently I found a wonderful artist, Koosje Keone, who shares her beautiful journals and drawing techniques. Please check her out. She’s inspired me to get back into my blind contour drawings lately.

Blind contour drawing involves looking only at your subject, not your paper, and keeping one continuous line on the page. The results are distorted and yet precise, emotional, and very beautiful. I love how it brings me very forcefully into the present moment as I slowly move my pen across the edge of my subject.

Make art. Feel better. Click To Tweet

If you like this post, please share it with someone you care about via social media! You will also love our private Facebook group, Creative Self-Care. You can sign up for regular updates about my free online workshops and tutorials here. You might also enjoy my Free DIY Adult Coloring Book, or this post on making art for self-care.

Grab your spot in my free e-course: The Guide to Creative Self-Care

Also, be sure to get your free Guide to Creative Self-Care: This is a six day guided course with a self-assessment, self-care myths, information on creating an art studio even in the smallest spaces, inspirational art journaling video, and artsy self-care tutorials. Grab your spot now!

Creatively Yours,

Amy

DISCLAIMER: This is not “art therapy,” but rather a technique that might help you to ground and focus when you are feeling uninspired or anxious. I believe that all art has the power to be healing, but art you do alone for healing and growth is different from art therapy. Art therapy only happens between a trained art therapist with specific skills and a client who has agreed to psychotherapeutic treatment with that person. If you are looking for an art therapist in your area, you can find one near you through the American Art Therapy Association’s therapist locator, found here.

The information provided on this post and on this site is for educational purposes only. Please consult a mental health professional, such as an art therapist, if you think you need professional help.

Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you choose to click on it and make a purchase, I will receive a small referral commission and you will support the creative self-care work of Mindful Art Studio. Thank you!

Art Journaling for Healing: Doodle and De-Stress