The following 10
suggestions are simple ways to explore your inner creative voice while turning
off the negative influences that so often get in the way. They may not all work
for you, but hopefully one or more of the following techniques will serve as the
artistic equivalent of a long, hot bath.
1.
Design a postcard you don't intend to send:-
Whether it's a love
note to someone you're not ready to confess your feelings to, or an angry rant
you know is better left unsaid, sometimes enumerating all the details helps
deflate the issue at hand. While writing
the text can be therapeutic in its own right, designing the postcard gives
even more value to the object. It also allows you to activate different
portions of your brain while relaxing in a manner similar
to coloring in a coloring book. Once you toss that signed and sealed letter
in the trash (or tuck it away in a drawer), you'll find its message has lost
some of its power.
2.
Cut and paste a painting to create a collage:-
Create a painting on
a material like paper or cardboard. When you're finished, cut or tear it up.
Then use the pieces as building blocks for a new artwork -- a collage. See how
your original artwork transforms into something new and exciting, something unpredictable.
This exercise illuminates the close proximity between creation and destruction,
encouraging us to take risks to push ourselves creatively and in other aspects
of life
3.
Build an altar to a loved one:-
Take inspiration
from folk art and create an altar honoring a unique relationship between you
and another person, living or not. Decorate the shrine with photographs,
letters and relics of memorable times spent together, as well as new art
objects you've created in their honor. Anything can become artistic material,
from gifts you've exchanged to a candy wrapper you know your subject would
love. Building a totem to another person awakens memories and creates a
physical manifestation of a relationship that can provide comfort in tough
times.
4.
Draw in total darkness:-
So much of the
stress we experience when making art comes from the judgments and criticism
that seem unavoidable every step of the way. Try creating artwork in total
darkness to make art free from that inner art critic inside your head. (Think
of it as a form of blind contour drawing.) You're suddenly freed up to create
lines, shapes and patterns simply because you feel like you should. When you
turn back on the lights, we suspect you'll be surprised by what you find.
5.
Watercolor your bodily state:-
Lie down and close
your eyes. Visualize your body as you breathe in and out. Try to imagine your
breath as a particular color as it enters your body, another color as it exits.
What do you see? Draw an outline of a body on a large sheet of paper, and inside,
create a watercolor based on your bodily state. Think about what these colors
mean to you, where they are densest, where they are most opaque. Think of this
as the most relaxing self-portrait you'll ever create.
6.
Create a Zentangle-inspired creation:-
Zentangle is a drawing method invented by
Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas, designed to make drawing meditative and
accessible to all. To learn the official method you must be taught by a
Zentangle Teacher, but you can recreate the basic idea on your own. Use a piece
of paper, cut into a 3.5" square piece, and draw a freehand border around
the edge in light pencil. Then use your pencil to draw a curved line or
squiggle within the border, called a "string."
Now switch to a pen
and begin drawing a "tangle," a series of patterns and shapes around
your "string" and voila! You got yourself a Zentangle. The process is
designed to encourage deliberate, ritual creation and allow room for human error
-- no erasing, that's against the rules. Traditional Zentangles are always
black and white but we fully support experimenting with color. The entire
process shouldn't take more than 15 minutes, and can be repeated whenever you
feel the urge. Keep some 3.5" squares handy so you can always create when
inspiration strikes.
7.
Produce a permission slip
Think of the
societal and self-imposed pressures you feel on a day-to-day basis, the
personal traits you see as faults, the natural slips you see as errors. Choose
one of these things and give yourself, in ornamental detail, permission to do
just that. Turning one simple defeat into an accomplishment can minimize
feelings of self-hatred, allowing you to achieve more of your important goals.
Remember, it's an art project, so make it pretty.
8.
'Write' a found poem
Don't consider
yourself a poet? Let someone else do the hard part of coming up with the words
by grabbing your material from old books, magazines, newspapers or even
letters. Cut out words that jump out at or inspire you. Collage your found
materials just as you would a visual collage. You can have a topic or story in
mind at the beginning, or just get started and see where your word collaging
takes you.
9.
Craft a mark-making tool unique to you
Instead of spending
the majority of your time on an actual painting, why not focus a little of that
attention on crafting an alternative paintbrush all your own? You can make a
mark-making tool out of nearly anything, whether it's a row of toothpicks (glued
to a cardboard base) and dipped in paint, or a DIY paintbrush made from
pom-poms and yarn. When you finally get around to actually making a piece with
your new tool, you will have relinquished some of your artistic control to your
distinct artistic medium, which, of course, is a work of art in itself.
10.
Make a forgiveness box
If there is a
certain person -- including yourself -- you don't want to harbor negative
emotions toward any longer, try making him or her a forgiveness box. Decorate a
small box with soothing images and words that can be either specific to an
individual or catered to your desired inner state. You can write the person's
name on a slip of paper and include it in the box if preferred, and the name
can be removed and exchanged if needed. The act of making the box will bring up
happy memories of whomever the box is for, as well as help you physically work
toward a place of forgiveness.
