As we swiftly reach the end of January of 2023, we are gearing up for the rest of year to be productive, introspective and lucrative personally and professionally. In order to make sure, we give this year our best, we have to ensure that we are mentally and emotionally prepared for the challenges it is going to send our way.
How do we prepare for that, you might ask?
Well, you are in luck! In this blog, I will be doing just that. I have discussed the power of art and the spirit of creativity in helping us strengthen emotionally and mentally in previous blogs, but for this one, I wanted to leave you with some helpful techniques and tips that you can readily use.
So, to get started on having your 2023 guided by art, I would like you to try at least one of these things:
Doodle your emotions out
Alright, this might seem to simple to work but all I ask of you is to give it a chance. All you are going to need is a blank piece of paper, a bunch of colour pencils or markers and comfortable place for you to sit down. For the next 30 minutes, keep all your devices locked and try to just focus on the blank paper in front of you. Take a moment or two to sit with your thoughts and emotions and then grab whatever colour you are attracted to and start doodling. These doodles can literally be anything: scribbles, drawings or even words that are popping up in your head. Let your thoughts and emotions be your artistic guide.
Keep going at it for as long as you prefer but give yourself at least 15 minutes to draw out whatever is pent up inside you. I promise you that this exercise won’t just be cathartic but will also give you immense clarity on your emotions and thought patterns that might be holding you back.
Art Exposure Therapy
Okay, this is not an actual form of therapy but trust me, the psychological benefits are absolutely real. Now the beauty of visual arts is that it’s a wide encompassing term for various art forms that you can experience and use as a tool for empowerment. Have you ever watched a film or listened to a song that has brought up certain strong emotions or exposed you to a new way of thinking? If yes, then you just unintentionally got a dose of Art Exposure Therapy. This is what it is, to put it simply: exposing yourself to art (films, songs, performance pieces) that challenge your way of thinking and make you introspect about yourself.
Go visit an art museum or attend art events and let yourself be immersed in art that connects with you. This will help you connect with your inner-self and also explore what galvanizes your emotions.
Make a selfie portrait
You might be a veteran at taking selfies but taking some time out to sit down and try your hand at drawing a self-portrait can be quite the introspective exercise. Speaking from personal experience, making your own self-portrait helps you take an objective look at yourself and realize how beautiful you truly are.
Remember your purpose
This one is mainly for my fellow artists out there, who need more clarity in their work and career in 2023. As an artist, it is important for us to remember why we make art. It could be as simple and personal like it just makes you feel better or you had a specific vision or message that you wanted to get across. I want you to write it down. Yes, write a purpose statement about your art. Write down exactly how creating art makes you feel, the issues you want to tackle with your art and list down all the people that you are creating your art for. In times of doubt, pull out this purpose statement and read it to yourself. This will be an amazing reminder of how your art empowers you and helps you realize your potential and dreams.
These are some of my tips and thoughts that I want you to practice letting art help you guide through 2023, just four simple ways in which you can use art to dig deep within and bring out thoughts that might be holding you back from realizing your full potential. So, practice at least one of them regularly and I promise, this year will become a life changing one!
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