Use Art To Be In The Now

Use art to be in the now. If we want to be fully in touch with our creativity, developing our sense of mindfulness is a necessity. There is a pervasive and powerful myth around artists that we are hopeless dreamers lost without a clue in the beautiful labyrinth of our own minds. In order to reliably access our creative impulse, we have no choice but to exist in the present moment. Here are five skills to help us appreciate and participate in the present moment using art. 

“In times of pain, when the future is too terrifying to contemplate and the past too painful to remember, I have learned to pay attention to right now.” Julia Cameron, The Artist’s Way

Make Your Environment A Work Of Art

Doodle on your whiteboard. Write a poem on your fridge. Put that sculpture you made at your desk. Whatever painting you are proudest of deserves to be hung on your wall, and it would probably make you happy to see it each day. The way you decorate your home is a work of art. The way you dress yourself is a work of art. If you are expressing your true, authentic self, you are making art. 

Draw Your Breath

You might be thinking: “I already know how to draw breath. I never could have made it this far without drawing breath.” And you’d be right! But this is an exercise where you literally draw your breath on a piece of paper. By representing your mindful breathing as a line that curves and changes with your breath, we can zoom out from our often limited perspective while still staying in touch with our body and feelings. 

Use Art To Step Out Of Your Comfort Zone

Stepping out of your comfort zone can be incredibly freeing, especially if you’re struggling with a creative block. Making art to feel a sense of comfort and mastery can be a powerful tool in your kit, but it’s all too easy to rest on our laurels instead of exploring new artistic territory. Stepping outside of your comfort zone means accepting the risk of making imperfect art. Failure can be a desired state no matter if we are learning each time we fail. 

“The fruit of mindfulness practice is the realization that peace and joy are available within us and around us, right here and right now.”

― Thich Nhat Hanh, The Art of Mindfulness.

Start to see the creative process as a journey

When you see it as an ongoing journey, you become more patient with yourself and your skill level. Often, when we jump into new artistic endeavors, we want to be the expert right away, and feel bad about ourselves when we don’t have the skill level to produce what we had envisioned. Forget what you envisioned. Life never turns out the way you had envisioned, and neither does your artwork. It’s all a part of the journey. You won’t be the same person as you were when you began. Often, your art doesn’t turn out the way you planned it , but it always has a purpose and turns out the way it was meant to. Being attached to how things should be pulls you out of the present moment and keeps you from enjoying your art. 

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.