Mindful Art

We had heaps of fun creating this flowing acrylic painting on the school holidays. I discovered some ready to pour Eraldo di Paolo paints from riot arts and craft and so after a quick YouTube tutorial and a trip to Mitre10 to buy a blow torch we were excited to give it a go! 

Painting can be a great opportunity to slow down and take a breather. If done mindfully and with intention it can be a form of meditation under the umbrella of ‘Mindful Art’. 

Mindful Art is a creative form of meditation and like all forms of meditation can help you find focus, calm, and peace. It’s an option for everyone; whether you are an experienced meditator, an experienced artist, both or neither. You might find mindful art activities more accessible than more traditional forms of meditation, and even if you are a seasoned meditator, it is a great way to mix up your practice and keep things fresh and interesting.

What is it? 

It’s a different experience for everyone and can be done in many different ways. It can be:

• Simply being aware and accepting of the emotions or thoughts in your head while you are creating something with your hands.

• Noticing how you are feeling and expressing these emotions into an image or collage

• Noticing how you are feeling before starting your artwork and then again after you have finished

• Identifying memorable, impactful or stressful events from your week and portraying them through your art

• Practicing self acceptance by open-heartedly sketching or painting a self portrait, imperfections and all, and accepting yourself for who you are

• Using all your senses, for example if painting; notice how the brush feels in your fingers and any sensations as it moves across the canvas; do some colour mixing with your fingers and notice what the paints feel like; observe the vibrancy of the colours and what you can smell; and notice any sounds made while you are painting or even sounds around you in nature.

I hope you enjoy it!