Art therapy: 10 ways to cope with stress through art

Creativity as a cure nervov

under stress? Cope with them will help art! Art therapy - a form of therapy, in which the creativity and self-expression are used as tools for reducing stress and improving self-esteem. Many other forms of therapy are dependent on the speech, which is necessary for expressing feelings. And art therapy uses a different, more abstract forms of communication.

To enjoy the benefits of art therapy, it is not necessary to be an artist. The most important exercise is not a final product that you create, and in some ways even meditative ritual of the creative process.

1. Create a postcard that you no one poshlёte

No matter what it is: a love letter addressed to the person to whom you are not willing to admit their own feelings, or angry rant that it is better not to say out loud - sometimes a simple listing of the details of the problem helps to get rid of it.

Just write the text - this, of course, perfect. But the development of cards - much better. When creating postcards will involve the areas of the brain that are used for coloring coloring books. Once you're done with your e-card and send it in the bin (or zaprёte in a drawer), you will find that the message is imprinted in the card, it lost some of its power over you.

2. Cut out the pictures, and make of them kollazh

Create a painting on paper or cardboard. When you're done, cut or tear it. Then use the resulting pieces as building blocks for a new product - a collage. See how your original work of art is transformed into something new, interesting and unpredictable.

This exercise emphasizes the closeness between the acts of creation and destruction, and encourages us to take risks in order to push himself in the works, as well as in other aspects of life.

3. Create the altar favorite cheloveka

Draw inspiration from folk art and create an altar in honor of the unique relationship between you and another person, whether he is alive or not. Decorate the altar of photographs, letters and other relics of the times, carried out together, to put the new art objects that you created in honor of those relationships.

Creating such a "totem" in honor of another person awakens memories and creates a physical manifestation of a relationship that will provide comfort in difficult times.

4. Draw full temnote

We are experiencing a lot of stress from negative judgments and criticism, which always accompany the creation of works of art. Try to create art works in total darkness to liberate art from this "inner critic" sitting in your head. Think of it as a species of "blind drawing" along the contours. You suddenly freed to create lines, shapes and patterns simply because they feel that they must do it. And when the turn on the lights, you'll probably be very surprised at what you see.

5. Watercolor your physical sostoyaniya

Lie down and close your eyes. Imagine your body. Imagine how you breathe in and out. Try to imagine your breath as a certain color, even the color enters your body when inhaling and exhaling when let out of the body other color.

What do you see? Draw an outline of your body on a large sheet of paper, and inside it, create a watercolor based on the color of your ideas about your own body. Think about what it means to have these colors on where they are more intense, and where almost transparent. Think of it as the most relaxing self-portrait that you have ever created.

6. Drawing with zentangla

Zentangl - a drawing method invented by Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas (Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas). It is designed to make a drawing of a meditative and accessible to all. To master the official method of drawing, you must be trained by a teacher zentangla, however, the basic idea of ​​this method you can use at their discretion.

The method of drawing is designed to encourage the "ritual" creating drawings, but leave room for human error. However, no erasing drawn lines in this method is not as erasing against the rules. Traditional drawings made by this method, usually black and white, but nobody forbids experiments with color. Drawing process should take no more than 15 minutes and must be repeated every time you feel the need for it.

7. Create a "special permit"

Think about how you each day crushes society, and what restrictions you have imposed on themselves. About his personal traits that seem disadvantages of their blunders that seem errors. Choose one of these things, and with the help of decorative details give yourself permission to do so. By making one defeat into something positive, it is possible to minimize the feeling of self-hatred that would lead to more important goals. And again, remember that it is still an art project, so that it must be beautiful.

8. "Write" found stihotvorenie

You do not consider yourself to be a poet? Let someone else performs the difficult part of the job, coming up with the right words. The material for his poems can be taken from old books, newspapers and magazines. In the course can go even individual letters. Cut out words that inspire you. Mix the resulting materials as well as in the visual collage. For the poem, you should have a theme or some kind of plot. At least in the beginning.

9. Create a unique tool for shtrihovki

Rather than spend a lot of time to create a real picture, why not focus a little attention on creating its own alternative brush? Own shtrihovochny tool you can create out of anything. This can be a number of toothpicks glued to a cardboard base, or something like that. When you finally find the time to help with a "brush" to create a picture, it will also be quite unique.

10. Make a "box of forgiveness"

If there is a particular person (that person can be you), to which you do not want to feed more than negative emotions, then try to do for him (or her) "box of forgiveness." Decorate a small box images or words that are like this man, and at the same time and will fit your inner state. You can write the person's name on a piece of paper and put it in a box, if you want. This name can be removed therefrom and replaced with another, if required. The act of creating a box stir happy memories of for whom this box is created.

via factroom.ru