You’ve probably heard of art therapy and its benefits of treatment for various ailments, but did you know that you can create art for self help and care?
Self care is defined as the deliberate and self-initiated act of preventive care. Preventive measures to cope with daily life are things like sleep, eating healthy and exercising. Still, sometimes that just isn’t enough to remedy the many demands of today’s life and unrelenting stress.
Many forgo seeing a specialist or psychologist for stress alone and wait until it becomes a diagnosed illness. Recognizing when stress is taking a toll on our body and mind and knowing when to act is key.
Just as important and recognition, it’s what we do for self help and self care. Art can provide another avenue of preventative treatment. If you’ve never tried creating art, it can be a therapeutic avenue and a turning point in your life. See how to get started with art in this article.
No matter your experience level with art, simply by doing the act of art, no matter the result, relieves stress. Check out the proof that it’s good for your health by lowering cortisol levels.
For artist that do this for a living, it’s important to avoid burn out. When it’s your profession and passion, often the lines may blur between the two. Set a schedule or plan blocks of time that you will create for work and for fun. For more ways to cope with burnout see this article from Nathalie sejean on CreativeLive.
If you’re an artist that has taken a bit of a hiatus from creating, let’s get back to it! See how you can begin to create again here or move on to how to get started with art here.
