I set the mood.

If I’m painting in the morning, I make a cup of coffee. If I’m painting in the evening or the afternoon, I pour a glass of wine. I always light a candle and open up a window, and I make sure there are no distractions.

Then I get to work.

Whether it’s sitting down to sketch in my sketchbook or standing at my easel, it takes me a while to get started. Once I get started, however, creating art becomes incredibly relaxing.

There’s something about being able to focus on one thing at a time that relieves anxiety and stress for me.

Oftentimes, I may begin a project with various thoughts running through my mind, for example, when is the light bill due or if I need to go grocery shopping today. When I get about 10-15 minutes into a project, though, I forget about all the errands or chores I need to do. I let go of what may have been troubling me at that moment, and then I find a sense of peace.

It’s more about the process of creating the “thing” than it is the finished product.

For example,

My niece asked me to paint a unicorn for her daughter’s birthday. At first, I felt resistant and a little stressed about painting a unicorn. It’s not something I would usually paint, and It’s not one of the topics that I’ve ever thought about painting, but once I pulled out all the materials, the painting process began, and I enjoyed seeing the unicorn come to life.

When I finally presented the unicorn, the smile on my niece and her daughter’s faces made me feel good. They both loved it!

You don’t have to consider yourself an artist to enjoy the relaxing benefits of creating art. No one has to see the art you created. It’s just another form of expression.

I want to leave you with a few other thoughts.

Some ideas to consider:

1. You cannot concentrate on your troubles and sketch a drawing at the same time. Give your mind a rest before going back and handling life’s challenges.

2. You develop strong self-esteem with each project you complete. It may take time, but you will find the one project that you enjoy creating. You may have to explore and create many different types of art, but this is the fun part! It may be painting with watercolor, sculpting, writing, or playing an instrument. Try to be open minded.

3. Self-reflection and focus well help balance and level out the anxiety. Simply writing in a journal can quiet down those irritating thoughts about the past and worrying about the future.

4. Try coloring! Coloring brings down your stress level, even if it’s only 15-20 minutes a day. If you didn’t know ...now you know...lol, that millions of adults have been coloring for a hobby. If you haven't tried this already, it's time to give it a try.

If your in the mood to color. Here is a link to my coloring pages:

https://themichellelong.com/flcoloringpages

Art can be a distraction from life's challenges. It also allows you to express your thoughts and emotions. Ultimately, this is why people use art as one method of relieving stress and anxiety.

Have you ever tried doing something creative to relieve stress or anxiety? If not, will you try it?

Let me know in the comments.

:)

Michelle

How I Relieve Stress and Anxiety by Creating Art. And You Can too!