Art Journaling When You Feel Sad

Dear Wonderful, Artistic Y'all:

Ane of the questions I get asked most is how to art periodical when you feel sad. My art journal has been a great source of condolement and cocky-understanding for years. I'm blest to be able to share my techniques here. I'thousand hoping this mail service will assist become you started when you lot want to art it out in your journal, but you're not sure how. Even if you've never made fine art, or never thought about making expressive art, I want to assure you h umans are uniquely creative beings. We have been using the arts to process our feelings, and marking of import moments in our lives since the beginning of fourth dimension. Art as a coping tool belongs to me, to you, and to united states of america all.

As an art therapist, I'm lucky to have a lot of training in how to use art for self-expression and healing. While I no longer practice art therapy, I however use art to assist myself feel better, and I love instruction these historic period-old techniques to others as well.

Fine art Journal Your Feelings TIP #i: PROCESS OVER Production

One of the blessings of my fine art therapy grooming was learning to focus on art procedure over product. Of course I know you are art journaling because you'd similar to make art, but getting overly focused on it can tighten you up and ensure that you won't express your feelings or make anything you like. That's a lose-lose.

As many artists know, the more than you create, the more you open up space for exploration through your art materials, the more than the process of art making becomes a balm to your soul. Funny enough, the more you practice this the more your product improves besides. It's weird the mode that works, isn't it? That's a win-win.

Take my Fine art Journaling & Creativity Class FREE:

Art Journal Your Feelings TIP #two: WORK IN LAYERS

The other thing I've institute that really helps me to loosen up, create, and limited myself is working in layers. I find layers requite me lots of permission to brand mistakes, effort out new things, and non have to know what the finished product will be. This helps me limited myself. When I fine art journal because I'm feeling down, I don't want to take to think too much, then I'd similar to share a sort of art making formula that has helped me. You tin use some of it or all of it, depending on what feels good to you.

Art Journal LAYER 1: Write About Why You Experience Sad

Y'all can arroyo this in many unlike ways. Art journaling when y'all feel sad is a super flexible activity. Hither's some ideas for writing when you experience sorry:

• Write a letter you'll never send. This helps me clarify my feelings and get them out.
• Describe how feeling sad makes yous feel in your trunk.
• Create a poem about feeling sad.
• Laurels your sadness: "Talk" to sadness equally though it were a person. Honor it. Requite it some room to speak back to you, possibly even in a dialogue you write in your journal.
• Sarcasm: Have a mock conversation with someone and be equally sarcastic every bit you lot wish!
• Imagery: Describe, with words, the images that come up to y'all when y'all feel this way.
• Flip the table: Write about how you wish you were feeling right now.
• Conceal your feelings: Write over and over your own writing until you tin can't read it. This helps create texture on your page, in your own unique handwriting fashion. I detect this very cathartic besides.
• Reveal your feelings: Write in white gel pen on a white page, and then pigment over it with high catamenia acrylic paint. Some colors also cover the writing more others. This is a fun "magic writing" technique y'all can use either to reveal or hide your writing.

Art Journal LAYER 2: Paint Your Feelings

With this next layer, we move form words and texture on the page to flowing paint. Fine art journaling when you feel sad gives y'all opportunities in pigment to use the colors to express how you lot currently feel, or how you desire to experience.

For me personally, I detect I frequently demand to shift to expressing what I desire to experience, or I stop up wallowing in negativity. You lot volition need to be your own all-time judge of what helps you. There'southward no correct or wrong in self-expression. In that location are no rules, just exercise what feels correct to you. Here are some options for the painting your feelings layer:

• Paint with brushes, sticks, kitchen tools, rocks, shells, or plastic wrap
• Finger painting for adults: Put on gloves and push and pull paints with your hands
• Use colors that express your sadness, or colors that express how you desire to experience
• Create a grid over your writing and paint each ane a slightly dissimilar color
• Pigment a repetitive blueprint over your words
• Black page, white stars: Pigment your folio blackness, and so use gel pens to create a galaxy of white stars.
• Take my form, Art Journaling 101 for more than guided lessons on using art and writing in transformative ways.

Fine art Journal LAYER iii: Transform Your Feelings

• Write out a poem that expresses what yous'd like to experience. I dear Rilke and Mary Oliver. What well-nigh you?
• Write hope, love, or joy in cake messages. So write inside most what gives you hope, love, or joy.
• Gratitude journaling: Write in block letters something you are grateful for, so write about why in a circle going around your letters.
• Fold your ain envelope, paste it to the page, and put a letter within to someone you dearest.
• Creative writing: Write a story or verse form about what you wish was happening right now.
• Use a script liner castor and paint to write downwards a bulletin of encouragement.

ART JOURNAL LAYER four: Cartoon LAYER: SLOW DOWN

I too similar the invitation to slow down and observe something closely plenty to draw information technology. Even when my drawing is kind of wonky, I try to encompass the practice in the moment.

I besides REALLY find the repetition of drawing patterns soothing. This ofttimes helps me feel better. Here are some ideas for your drawing layer:

• Draw an fauna that symbolizes protection, liberty, or forcefulness for you. You tin can draw it cartoony or realistic. I like to detect a photo and piece of work from that since I'thousand non practiced at brining the prototype clearly plenty in my mind.
• Draw a repetitive pattern with a paint marker, gel pen, or brush. Use dots, circles, dashes, or wiggly lines. Imitate something in nature or brand up your own based on what feels proficient to your mitt. On light backgrounds, yous can use a Micron pen as well.
• Use a photo to draw someone yous love. You tin can as well paste information technology into your periodical if yous prefer non to draw.
• Illustrate a place that makes you feel happy.
• Be certain y'all are on my mailing list for more than fine art journaling ideas and inspiration!

Remember, I'grand sharing ways I apply my art journal in my own life to feel ameliorate. This isn't art therapy, and in no way should exist seen as mental health handling or advice. If you are facing overwhelming feelings or mental health struggles, I promise you honor your hurting by getting the back up you deserve. If art therapy feels similar the right option for you, you can find a local art therapist here.

Creatively Yours,

Amy

The links shared in this post are affiliate links. That means if you choose to purchase something after clicking the link, at no extra cost to you, you volition support the work of Mindful Fine art Studio to empower the artist in everyone. Thank you!

edwardsnough1952.blogspot.com

Source: https://mindfulartstudio.com/art-journaling-when-you-feel-sad/

Share this post