9 Ways to Use Art to Practice Self-Care

For artist Stephanie Medford self-care is vital. And it’s much more than manicures, massages and bubble baths. For Medford, who struggles with anxiety, self-care is getting over 8 hours of sleep each night. It’s meditating. It’s moving her body and being in nature. It’s also art. In fact, art is the foundation of her self-care. “I have always had a desire to create, to express myself, to make things, and when I finally started to act on that desire and make art a priority, I started to feel like I was saying ‘yes’ to myself for the first time,” said Medford, also a writer and teacher with a mission to help people who have lost touch with their creativity find their way back to their creative selves. “I wasn’t trying to make myself into something that I wasn’t, I was finally embracing who I was and what I wanted and giving it space in the world.” Medford also uses art to explore her anxiety. This helps her to “feel less like a passive victim of my brain, and more like an active participant shaping what effect it will have on my life.” Art, in general, is powerful for practicing self-care. Because it connects us to ourselves on a profound level. It helps us to listen to ourselves. It helps us pick up on subtleties and patterns. “It can show us our pain in a heartbeat; and it also can give us clues to what we are needing, and what direction to take in the present moment,” said Natalie Foster, LAMFT, ATR, an intuitive mentor and reg...
Source: World of Psychology - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: Creativity General Habits Happiness Mental Health and Wellness Self-Help Artwork Creative Expression integrative art therapy Self Care Source Type: blogs