mindfulness and art Archives - Mindful Art Studio

Feeding Your Soul One Mindful, Creative Act At a Time

09.20.2017 by Amy Johnson Maricle // 16 Comments

Feeding Your Soul One Creative Act at a Time, mindfulness and art, mindful art — Photo credit: Tory Williams

Dear Wonderful, Creative You:

I’m coming to you fresh from my first Squam Art Retreat on Squam Lake in New Hampshire. As often happens with such experiences, I’ve arrived home inspired, slightly disoriented, and wanting to carry what I felt on retreat into my everyday life. One of the ways I want to do that is by sharing about it with you.

Choose to Live in Abundance

I was delighted by how every aspect of the environment and my experience was infused with generosity and abundance. Handmade flags, fabric garlands, and pom poms decorated our meeting spaces and popped up periodically on tree branches and swimming docks. Sleeping in cabins in the forest on the edge of the lake, we were blessed each day by still waters, the calling of loons, and star-filled nights sitting out on the dock.

'By doing what you love, you inspire and awaken the hearts of others.' - Satsuki Shibuya Click To Tweet

Of all the gifts I received on this retreat, and there were many, the one I found most transformative was the openness of all of the women I met. Each of my teachers generously shared as much as she could, and each of the attendees included me in her conversations, her projects, and her sisterhood. As I think about how a community like this springs up, it occurs to me that we all have an active role in keeping such a safe, creative, and welcoming environment alive.

We left fear at the door.
We walked in love, in hope, in openness.
We sang songs, danced, and let our childlike selves out to play in the company of women.
We stepped away from screens and dwelled in the company of one another, and the land and water that held us.

artist community, women artists, mindful art — Rae Hoekstra of www.made-by-rae.com

Mindfully Choosing More Creative Magic

I’ve been thinking about what this experience has to tell me about my life right now. Of course, much of it has to do with slowing down, paying attention to the moment, and choosing more art. These are some of my lessons learned:

Getting away to cultivate creative sisterhood feeds my soul. It’s a priority.
I need to limit my screen time and invest energy in the things that feed me.
There is more space for creative magic and wonder in my life.
I can choose to live in an abundant world, giving and receiving openly.
Stay focused on the positive. This brings more light to everyone.

mindful art, the art of mindfulness, art and mindfulness — What I made in my printmaking class with Penny Dullaghan.

mindful art, mindfulness and art, art of mindfulness — One of the many bits of wonder I found on trails around the lake.

imperfect art, mindful art, mindful fiber arts, Sew Liberated — Meg McElwee of Sew Liberated practicing some beautiful sashiko mending on her miniskirt. You can find her gorgeous patterns at: http://sewliberated.com – I want to do this to my jeans!

My Creative Self-Care

With these lessons in mind, I’ve been changing the way I do things. Some of these new habits may stick, some may change, but experimenting and writing about it are important steps in the process. So here’s what I’m doing now:

I’m writing a poem a day on my dry erase board to inject poetry into our family life.
I reorganized my studio to feel more welcoming and cohesive.
I leave my phone in the other room to minimize mindlessly “checking it.”
I keep a question on my art table: Is what you are doing right now feeding your soul?
I gifted a class to a couple of friends at Squam who really moved me.

There are things I still need to do, such as placing a few reminders from Squam around my home, and pulling together an art date with Squam friends. I know I will do these things though, because I’ve been reminded how much it matters.

Mindful Art Resources

Mindful Art Studio Classes – Learn to tune into the moment by playing with art.
Squam Art Retreats – Fall and Spring retreats on Squam Lake, NH – I’m almost afraid to share this amazing secret!
Tory Williams Photography – Her workshop was the BEST class I’ve ever taken. I hope you can see the difference in my photos!
Made by Rae – Find lovely patterns for making clothing at all skill levels. She’s the artsy lady pictured above with the glasses.
Sew Liberated – Meg is the funky lady making the beautiful patch on her mini skirt, and she also teaches and sells patterns, and blogs about sewing, home schooling, and parenting a child with medical needs.
Penny Dullaghan – See her beautiful illustrations and check out her moving post on parenting and pain.

I’d like to leave you with this image: As I drove away from Squam Lake, down sunlit, winding roads flanked by forests and fields, I felt a pure, warm lightness in me that I haven’t felt in a long time. I carry it now still, and hope I’ve offered some of it to you.

Creatively Yours,

Amy

What’s Wrong with Adult Coloring Books

06.16.2015 by Amy Johnson Maricle // 35 Comments

I recently read a thought-provoking post from Lisa Mitchell at Inner Canvas, Warning, adult coloring books could do more harm than good. I’ve been grappling with my thoughts and feelings about adult coloring books, paint nights, and other “scripted,” art activities for some time. While I agree with her on many points, I’d like to add my thoughts to this discussion.

I Don’t Like Coloring Books, But…

I don’t buy coloring books for my kids. “Paint nite” images make me cringe. There’s so little originality and expressiveness in these images, what you have to say is so much more interesting, even if it’s not “pretty.”

But I know that for many people the artistic freedom of early childhood has been long forgotten. Trying to speak through art again takes practice. I also know that coloring pages offer well-defined expectations and a structure within which folks feel safe. Because there’s not a lot of thought or input required, it can also be a mindful or meditative practice.

Lisa Mitchell makes the excellent point that coloring pages can be just as “empty” as watching television. While I wholeheartedly agree they are not expressive, or even hugely creative, I would encourage you to do a coloring page before you channel surf or troll social media.

Are Adult Coloring Books Art?

I see coloring pages as a way of bringing a very small, but creative experience to the masses. There’s a great deal of curiosity in our culture at the moment about the healing powers of art, and the intersections of art and mindfulness.

Coloring pages can be relaxing and mindful. There is value in that. I believe strongly though that each of us has creative and artistic power. Perhaps if you enjoy coloring pages, you will try your hand at doodling, art journaling, or a painting class.

So attend your local paint nite, buy a coloring book and indulge in it. And then let yourself take the next step. Try out a tutorial for some doodles. See how to turn paint splotches into animals. Imitate the random mark making of a toddler. Play. You might be surprised at what you find. Or try following the steps I’ve outlined below.

What’s the worst that could happen? Someone sees you playing with crayons?

Let Your Art Take You on a Journey

What coloring books don’t offer that an image does is a journey. Mystery. Transformation.

In a coloring book, you can make choices about colors, or perhaps experiment with blending, but there’s a lack of flexibility, risk-taking, and creative self-expression. This, in my opinion, takes the soul out of the art.

Just like in life, there are a lot of unknowns in art. Each new color you add to a canvas changes all the others. Paying attention to these parallels can be profound. When you color in someone else’s lines, you miss the opportunity to explore your feelings and contemplate the metaphors as you watch the image emerge.

Art Requires Attention

There is no step by step process I can give you for making a beautiful or expressive art piece. It’s about paying attention. Listening, head cocked and ears strained, you step quietly until the next footfall becomes clear. It takes attention, patience, and courage to uncover our images. That’s a mindful practice.

Coloring Outside the Lines: My Artistic Process

I wanted to share my artistic process for this journal page because it shows how winding, unplanned, and healing art can be.

I painted the red and pink background a few weeks ago for this post, and set it aside.

Recently, I cut tracing paper into large tear drop shapes. I wrote all over these about an issue that has weighed heavy on my heart.

After writing for some time, I found resolution in a phrase: “The gift is focusing on the good.” I highlighted it in glitter.

Next I sewed the pieces on the page. I’ve been wanting to do a more extensively sewn page, so this was my chance.

To add color, I colored over most of the tear shapes, smudging the colors together with my finger.

I stood back from my piece numerous times to see what it needed, and added color, fabric, and ribbon edging.

I sewed over the whole page, “drawing” leaf-like shapes with the sewing machine in a random pattern.

I love this piece. It feels satisfying to create something beautiful out of my pain. It also reminds me of what’s important – and I need that.

Creative Self-Care

If you are looking for forum for support around art and self-care, join our private Facebook community, Creative Self-Care.

Comments:

What’s your experience of making art? Do you enjoy coloring pages as an adult? Is your art making highly structured and planned, or open and meandering?

Title Image: 123rf.com: karakotsya

Update 11/2015: I’ve created a DIY Adult Coloring Book free for download. It will give you enough structure to get your own designs going, if that interests you. I hope you enjoy!

You can find another thoughtful article about both sides of this debate here.

The Mindful Art Studio

05.06.2015 by Amy Johnson Maricle // 66 Comments

(Note: 5/27/15: I have changed my site name to www.mindfulartstudio.com in order to separate my art therapy practice from my online art business and to avoid any confusion about what services I am providing. Mindful Art Studio and its blog will now focus solely on creativity, art tutorials, art journaling, mindfulness, and related topics. It is not art therapy.)

Hello Creative, Authentic You:

I’ve been holding onto a secret for the last few months, and I’m so excited to finally be able to share it: I’ve found a new home for our lovely community. Welcome to the Mindful Art Therapy Studio! To use a term from one of my favorite creative authors, SARK, I hope you’ll stay a while and have an “inspiration sandwich” while you’re here!

I sought out a new name because I want it to be very clear what this community stands for – learning to live centered, inspired, and creative lives. I think Mindful Art Therapy Studio does that. Do you?

Mindfulness and Art

Through writing this blog, I’ve realized just how hungry people are for creativity and mindfulness in their lives. We want to slow down, pay attention, make meaning, and feel inspired. Whether you consider yourself “creative” or not, and I would argue that everyone is, if you don’t have that spark of inspiration and creativity somewhere in your life, my bet is that you are feeling flat, down, anxious, or alone. I believe very strongly that for many people, art therapy and art are two very powerful medicines.

I was rereading one of the books that drove me to explore the mindful, spiritual, and healing aspects of art, The Artist’s Way. Author Julia Cameron says, “The quality of life is in proportion, always, to the capacity for delight. The capacity for delight is the gift of paying attention.” It’s so true.

So much of what delights me requires my full attention – listening to my kids as they recount each new adventure, taking in the way water droplets perch gently on a tulip petal, choosing the right moment to make a suggestion to a client who is on the brink of change, or running unencumbered on the first warm spring day, hearing the birds, and feeling the movement of my breath.

That’s the level of connection we crave. And yet we make ourselves so busy all the time. Mindfulness requires conscious effort.

A Mindfulness Exercise:

Art and mindfulness are so intimately connected. Seeing with attention is practicing mindfulness. Whether you are truly seeing and drawing something for the first time, or “seeing” your feelings appear on the page, it’s an act of mindfulness. I think often of my first drawing teacher, who told me that I didn’t need to learn to draw, I needed to learn to see.

Try this exercise:

Pick an object that you see everyday – a chair, a stick, a bowl. Set a timer for 2 minutes. Now look at the object as though you have no idea what it is – like you’ve never seen one of those thingies in your life. I invite you to engage your curiosity. Look at colors, shapes, textures, and light. What do you notice? What were you missing every other time you looked at it?

What we normally see when we look at something is just a brief sketch. We think we know what things look like, but do we really?

A Mindful Drawing Exercise:

Could you try drawing your object now? Let go of expectations that it will look a certain way or be “accurate,” this is a mindfulness exercise. Your pencil is a miniature ant walking across the edges and contours of your object, ever so slowly. What does your ant go? Whenever I do this, I find so much more detail and beauty both in the object, and in my wobbly drawing, than I ever expected.

“Attention is an act of connection” – Julia Cameron

We so deeply want to feel connected, and it’s is a powerful anecdote against hopelessness, desperation, and suffering.

What You Can Expect from Mindful Art Studio

Having the opportunity to share creative self-care techniques and information with people across the globe is a blessing for me. It’s part of my creative and artistic practice, and it makes my life meaningful. Thank you for being here!

My goal is to reach you, move you, and inspire you to live a more creative life, to feel happier and less anxious, and to make choices demonstrate how much you truly value yourself. You have so much to offer.

I want you to show up in this community, take in what you can, and give back by sharing your insights (just like Sara did last week.) Let’s take on this creative journey called life together.

I am humbled by your presence, your wisdom, and your creativity, and I’m excited about what’s ahead in the rest of 2015.

Art Tutorials and Classes

Art journaling has been, and will continue to be one of the key ways that I help people feed their creative soul. You can also expect more online art classes and e-books on a range of artistic techniques.

Creative Self-Care and Coping Strategies for Anxiety and Depression

Fear gets in the way of creativity and joy. We will continue to dive deeper into ways of getting fear and anxiety to step aside, go away, or transform. We will also continue to explore a range of coping tools to manage anxiety, stress, and depression.

This quote speaks so loudly to me about the habit of worry. And like any other habit, we can replace it with a different one with a bigger reward.

Insights About Healing Art

I consider it a privilege to be an art therapist and to help more people understand and experience its power.

If you haven’t looked around recently, here’s a sampling of some of the best things Mindful Art Therapy Studio has to offer right now:

– Check out the Free Art Tutorials page for tons of mindful, creative, and nature based art techniques

-Listen to some guided visualizations to help relieve stress and anxiety

– Learn about managing stress and anxiety with art,

– Connect with the community on the Creative Self-Care Facebook group for extra guidance and resources

– Listen to the podcast where I talk about How Art Therapy Works.

Mindful Art Studio’s Housewarming Gifts to You

To help celebrate our new “home,” I’d like to offer you some housewarming gifts.

1. GIVEAWAY:

Each person who comments below has a chance to win this art journal. Once I know who the lucky, randomly chosen winner is, I’ll get a bit more information and personalize it for you before I send it off. You have until Friday at 9 am to comment.

2. Art Journaling Class Sale!

For a limited time, I am making Art Journaling 101 Online available for just $19!