Have you found yourself constantly stressed or burnt out lately? Knowing how and when to press pause on life to release stress and regain control over your emotions is an essential skill for your health and wellbeing. If you’re looking for a way to slow down, a dose of selfcare in the form of art therapy might be just for you!
What Exactly Is Art Therapy?
We promise it’s not as scary as it sounds! Art therapy is simply a way for you to truly express your feelings, you guessed it, through art. Creativity and imagination are perfect outlets if you are dealing with emotional pain or trying to heal your inner self, as you’re bringing awareness to your body and what you’re feeling. Instead of shutting down emotions or trying to disconnect, art gives you an opportunity to explore and connect with your emotions through mindfulness and compassion.
Art therapy is thought of as a bottom-up healing process as it addresses the stress stored in the body in order to affect how we think and feel, also recognised in breathing exercises and yoga. By having a regular creative outlet, you’re supporting your soul by becoming more self-aware and make meaning out of the feelings and thoughts you have.
Using Painting As A Creative Outlet
Paint by numbers is a beginner-friendly art therapy activity that makes your soul happy by benefitting your physical, mental and emotional wellbeing. Just like adult colouring books, painting by numbers requires no preparation or artistic experience so all you need is your design and paints to start unwinding.
Using paints and repetitive movements, the painting process helps you slowly become more present and drift into a profound sense of relaxation. It’s a fluid medium that encourages you to let go of the need to control while quieting the brain as you enter a calm state of mind that can be compared to meditation.
As you find yourself bursting into a sacred space and tuning into your intuition, you’re able to deeply reconnect with yourself and begin to build a beautiful mindset. At Self Studio, we love painting because it can be a supportive tool that gives you the time to process your thoughts and emotions by focusing on something other than your mind chatter.
How To Get Started With Paint By Numbers
Let’s start by taking a breath together and inviting mindfulness into your session by checking in with yourself! By becoming aware of how you feel without judgement or self-crticism, you’ll be more open to working with those emotions to begin focusing on your healing and inner growth. Continue to distance yourself from the constant frenzy of thoughts in your mind by place attention on slowing your breath. As your body starts to relax, you’ll release tension held in your shoulders, back and jaw.
You deserve to make your happiness a priority so find a calm well-lit space to paint where you can spend time undisturbed. Now let your intuition take over by choosing colours that evoke positive emotions and painting patterns or areas that you feel will relax you the most. You’ll get bonus soul points if the paint by numbers design you’ve chosen reflects your happy place, hello Mediterranean Lane!
Girlfriend, it’s time to be the best version of yourself and maintain balance in your life with paint by numbers. If you haven’t purchased your statement design yet, what are you waiting for? Take back your power and create intentionally mindful moments by getting started on your masterpiece today!