Enjoy Art Again

Human beings have an innate desire to enjoy, create, and appreciate art. Art therapy connects with so many clients because it seems that our brains are wired to be used creatively. We all connect with art as children, but most of us lose that connection somewhere along the way to adulthood. Even those of who explore art professionally can wind up pigeonholing themselves by only sticking to the discipline that they have training, aptitude, or employment in. As we get older, it becomes less and less likely that we get in the habit of enjoying art. So how can we enjoy art again? 

“If you hear a voice within you say ‘you cannot paint,’ then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced.” – Vincent Van Gogh

Why Do I Not Enjoy Creating Anymore? 

Human beings are essentially creatures of habit. We mainly exhibit the behaviors we’ve exhibited in the past. This trend towards habit can be inconvenient at times, but our own awareness of these habits can be beneficial. What habits can inhibit your creative enjoyment?

• Overwhelming Yourself With Work. By putting too much work on your plate, you are consequently using up the space that art could fill in your life, especially if you work a job that requires a lot of your brainpower. When we’re exhausted, our body doesn’t send us signals to make art, it wants us to sleep. 
• Avoiding Uncertainty. In order to lead a creative life, we must do things that inspire us. One of the primary ingredients for creativity is novelty. In our efforts to avoid uncertainty, we wind up pushing away new experiences that otherwise might elevate and inspire us. 
• Not Making Time For Art. In order to get in good physical shape, we have to make the time in our schedule to exercise. In order to enjoy art, we have to set aside the time for it. You can do that by going to a museum, watching a movie, or especially by making something of your own. 

How Do I Get Back Into Art? 

Even if we decide that we want to invite art back into our lives, there’s always going to be a process of transition. No matter how out of the habit you are, it’s never too late to jump back in, but the longer it’s taken you to jump back in, the more adjustments you’ll have to make to get comfortable again. 

• Make Art Right Now. Make time for art every single day by putting it into your schedule. Making and appreciating art can be an intensely mindful and grounding experience. By inviting art into your life and doing it every day, you can be a more mindful and present artist. 
• Do Something In Your Community. Saint Petersburg is an artsy town, so you have a lot of options if you want to dip into the social aspect of enjoying art. By putting yourself out there, you can find a community of people that appreciate and encourage your artistic journey.
• Visit An Art Therapist. Art therapy gives us the opportunity to therapeutically explore ourselves through art with a trained expert guiding us along the way. WARNING: one of the most common side effects of art therapy is a reborn love of making art.
• Do Art Therapy On Your Own. I’ll give you one of the most powerful revelations of attending art therapy completely for free: you can do it at any time. You don’t always need a therapist with you to explore your feelings through art. We’ve been doing that as a species since before there were therapists or even paper books, and so can you.
• Challenge Your Inner Critic. Most inner critics love to get in the way of making art. The untrained inner critic will tear down your own creations rather than help to improve them. In order to sustainably make art, we must learn to challenge our own inner critic. 

Why Should I Commit To Making Art?

It’s harder than it’s ever been to see the true value of creativity. With the rise of AI and the pre-existing mountain of content at everyone’s disposal, it’s never been easier to marginalize our potential, cage our creative ambition, and forget the place of art in human life. Are there still any reasons to make art in a world that doesn’t seem to have a place for it? 

• Personal achievement. Being able to say you did it. The personal identity of being an artist.
• Making things for others. A one-of-a-kind gift made by hand is a special one indeed and many personal gifts have wound up being a gift for all humanity. There are people out there who appreciate your expression and it’s the people who love you.
• Improving your mindfulness. In order to appreciate art, you must put yourself in the present to see it. In order to create art, you step into the present moment to engage with it. By enjoying art again, you can more easily step into the beautiful now. 

Integrative Counsel proudly offers virtual Art Therapy with Quinn. Quinn uses virtual art therapy to treat individuals with OCD and Anxiety, as well as those undergoing a major life transition or adjustment and are  experiencing grief. Click here to schedule your virtual art therapy session!

Sunny Ebsary is an educator, multi-modal artist, and writer specializing in the intersection of myth and mental health. Sunny’s writing walks the line between poetic and logical, giving readers a chance to interface with the mind and imagination. Sunny’s been putting pen to paper since he was a child, writing everything from albums, novels, and plays, to essays, interactive games, and of course, many articles! While studying both psychology and writing, he realized his real passion in life was helping others unlock their creative spark. Whether he’s leading a D&D game, directing a production, or diving deep into the brain, you can be sure Sunny will be ushering you toward finding meaning in your life.