Photo: Unsplash
Looking to find a sense of calm in your week? The answer may lie in getting a little creative. Whether you choose to try your hand at painting, poetry, or anything in between creator George Groves and Psychologist Mamta Saha both champion the practice. Here, they share their top tips for getting started.
Set Time Out for Your Day
With errands to run and a household to look after, play and creativity are often put lower down on our priority list. By setting out an hour of the day for creating, we can be present during the production of our art. Defining this time within our day also assures a sense of certainty as this activity is one that you can look forward to.
Breathe and Affirm
During the creation of work, it’s easy to get swept up by what’s in front of us and get lost in the depth of our minds. In order to conjure a sense of calm, take a step back, physically and mentally. Pick an Affirmation for Inner Peace card and take a deep breath. Saying the affirmation in your mind: in for four seconds, hold for four seconds, and exhale for eight seconds. Affirmations have been proven to shift our state bringing clarity, confidence, and calm.
Turn Off the Phone
Push notifications from our phones have been proven to distract us for up to 25 minutes after they’ve been received as they create a distraction that the mind must digest. To eliminate this distraction turn your phone on to airplane mode or completely switch it off. By doing this, we are creating an environment of serenity, and slowing down our busy minds to focus on our creative time.
Experiment
As an artist, I constantly want to push boundaries but a lot of the time it can be daunting to step outside our comfort zone. Instead of shying away from a potential bolder brush stroke or an idea, embrace the uncertainty and attempt to understand the beauty of your imagination. Let the brush guide you if you are painting or let the hands flow if you are sculpting.
Read Next: The Most Popular Cosmetic Treatments Post Lockdown
