Meditation with Art Making

When making art, you gather your supplies, whether it is paints, crayons, pencils or clay. Then you put your apron on and then start creating. Wonder if there was another step you could take to enhance your creativity and slow the process down?

There is another step, it is meditation and mindfulness. The exciting thing about it, is that it really can help you in so many ways. It can increase your relaxation, improve stress management, and give you clear cognitive thoughts as well as enhance creativity.

Meditation and mindfulness allows you to explore art in a non-judgmental way. You will stay in the present moment and not be concerned about how you want something to look, rather you explore letting go and staying in the present. The emotions you experience will be acknowledging them, instead of feeling overwhelmed.

Mindfulness and meditation will connect with your breath, thoughts and bodily sensations. When you engage in drawing with oil pastels, you might connect with the stickiness of the oil on your finger, vs watercolor you might find relaxation watching the colors blend together.

Mindfulness meditation stated 2600 years ago, from the Buddhist tradition. It has evolved and more people of all religions and backgrounds practices it. Mindfulness is about the process and staying in the present aware of the surroundings in a relaxed state. Art making with mindfulness is not about the final outcome, but about the process of making it and exploring your self-awareness.