Silverbirch Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 Am on my way to an art group, and been visiting one of my arty friends. Going to think it out and put some color on paper. Anyone tapping into their creative centre to heal. Love to hear. Link to comment
Crazyaboutdogs Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 Art therapy is actually something that is used to help cancer patients cope with the emotional turmoil they are dealing with. It is very beneficial. Link to comment
Confused28645 Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 I have no artistic talent at all, but I wish I did as it sounds like a great way to help yourself heal. At the moment I am just reading loads, and trying to concentrate on my degree and the voluntary work I do which ties into it. Link to comment
TiredOfGames Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 I would think it would be beneficial, just as some people put their thoughts and feelings into the written word, like a book or a song. Sometimes words can't describe how one is feeling, so I'd imagine art can go places that writing sometimes can't. Enjoy the art group! Link to comment
Silverbirch Posted June 3, 2011 Author Share Posted June 3, 2011 Hi, I went to see friends tonight and we did mandala painting which can be as easy or intricate as you like. It was very therapeutic and we chatted as we painted. I would like to have a go at other types of paintings too. One of my gf who I saw tonight is very artistic. A couple of years ago, she went through a very bad break-up and painted like a mad woman. I love her paintings - she mostly does portraits, but they are not realist. I can nearly always tell who she has painted even the there isn't a close physical likeness, she seems to capture something of the essence of the person. Tonight she was showing me how she uses these oil paint pencils. I wouldn't mind a set. Link to comment
TiredOfGames Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 Hey Silver! It sounds like you enjoyed yourself so good for you! When your friend threw herself into painting during her breakup, did she ever say how helpful it was in her own coping and healing? Link to comment
zaza34 Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 Art could be a great help in healing or going trough difficult times, focusing on something else, making from your pain something beautiful... "Art" saved me a few years ago, I have been always a creative person, I am painting, drawing, wrote poems, but a few years ago nothing seemed to work, until I discovered a camera and I begun to take pictures, so I kept taking pictures almost daily, I even joined some photo forums, so I made some very good friends, I also started a photo blog, so I was able to turn all my suffering, anger into something nice, so if I look at my blog now I see that "dark period" of mine as a metamorphosis because I discovered my new side, I discovered a different perspective, I learned how to be honest with myself (because in art there is no place for "illusions") I discovered a new way of living/seeing, even now when I am having a bad day I just take my camera take some shots and I completely forget about my problems... so with art you can just win... discover a lot about yourself, about the others... enjoy!!! Link to comment
DrKitten Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 Art is the one thing that gets me through tough times. Link to comment
JonasWaingaro Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 Yep I started painting after my BU. It helped a lot. Kept my mind and hands busy at a time when I couldn't sit still. Having to go buy painting supplies was a big factor in getting me out of the house and back into the world. Good for you for trying! Link to comment
Silverbirch Posted June 3, 2011 Author Share Posted June 3, 2011 Hey Silver! It sounds like you enjoyed yourself so good for you! When your friend threw herself into painting during her breakup, did she ever say how helpful it was in her own coping and healing? Absolutely, in fact, quite a lot of her paintings were sold. At first, she took them to markets and they sold very well. Then they went to one of the galleries not too far from where I live. Until that point in time, she had never sold paintings and I'm sure she said they sold fro $500 each. She's going through a bit of a lull atm as she says she paints best when she is miserable, and she's happy right now! LOL She used to have this one painting which most people thought was Jesus, but I knew straight away, it was her son who was a teenager at the time. The paintings are quite colorful and the subjects are painted in a type of naeive childish way if that makes sense. We had a friend who passed away early April I think it was. She was a professional artist and art teacher. Her daughter has given her unfinished work to my friend who insisted I take 3 of the paintings last night. One of them is finished, and I'm going to have a go at the others. The other thing my friend does which is sweet and funny is that she takes photographs of people, but she dresses up first. She was messing around with me, and she dressed me up as "Batsheba" She's taken photos of her daughters where she has dressed them up in saris and Indian attire. I had plans for today which have all fallen through, but I'm going to go to some renowned country markets around 10kms from where I live and they have a lot of arty things there so maybe get ideas. Th idea of making my own jewellry appeals to me too. Link to comment
Silverbirch Posted June 3, 2011 Author Share Posted June 3, 2011 Zaza, Dr.Kitten, Jonas, great to hear! Link to comment
Moonchill Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 Thank you for making a topic about healing through art. When I am lovesick making art never let's me down. It's something that you can count on no matter what. ( even though having inspiration is another thing) I really love it as an output. Link to comment
Silverbirch Posted June 3, 2011 Author Share Posted June 3, 2011 Thank you Moonchill. As I might have mentioned, my plans for today have fallen through and I'm thinking there is so much I can do here at home. I need to give my ponies some care and attention, but also prior to the B/U, I was really getting into gardening. Then I pulled all of the flowers out of a large round garden at the front of the house. A lot of grass has grown through there now. I'll pull it up and find out what I can plant there at this time of the year. In fact, as it is round, I might make it a mandala garden. Have you done mandala Moonchill. It's easy and enjoyable. I'm also redecorating so hopefully get some inspiration and ideas. Link to comment
Moonchill Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 Yes I have, actually. I was painting them with transparant colours and hanging them in front of a window. That gives a beautiful effect Link to comment
Silverbirch Posted June 3, 2011 Author Share Posted June 3, 2011 Sounds very nice. Do you mean you were painting them on something like perspex and then hanging them on the windows? Link to comment
Moonchill Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 no I painted them on half transparant paper. But you can also do it on perspex or glass if you've got the right paint. Link to comment
Silverbirch Posted June 3, 2011 Author Share Posted June 3, 2011 Good Idea. I do have a lot of large windows where I live. Link to comment
Moonchill Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 You should just go to a hobby shop and spoil yourself with some art goodies. I'm thinking about doing the same. I'm now busy with a large painting of a blossom. Now that I don't spend my time calling him, texting him, travelling to him, waiting for him, keeping his friends company.. I've got enough time on my hands to do something for myself. Link to comment
Silverbirch Posted June 3, 2011 Author Share Posted June 3, 2011 Yay yes I will and THANK YOU Moonchill! BTW, have you ever made jewellry. I saw these amazing belt buckles a few days ago, but they were so expensive. The store owner said they were hand-painted on fine-bone china. I recently also bought a statement piece which is a gold (not real) Aztec type pendant (worn just below the neck. It actually isn't gaudy at all even though it sounds it. I'm not really into beading and prefer wearing gold to silver. Link to comment
Moonchill Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 Sounds good. Hooray to inspiration! Sounds like you have tons. It's good to have some optimisim out here. I've got a whole box of art ideas for when I lack inspiration. That might be a good idea for you? Writing those ideas down in a notebook. Link to comment
Silverbirch Posted June 3, 2011 Author Share Posted June 3, 2011 Oh I might do that too. I really do need to get stuck into redecorating my living room. I'm going to paint a feature wall, getting some new furniture and things. Well, off to the markets now where I should get some inspiration. Link to comment
Grace696 Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 Thanks for the inspiring post, Silver. Art definitely helps healing, and also in finding ourselves again in the horrible space of loss. In the Susan Elliot book 'Getting Past Your Breakup' she recommends mandalas and even just colouring in in general as a way of coping with the anxiety brought up in a breakup. I did some mandalas in the dark days and found it very soothing. When nothing makes sense, when everything feels painful, and you don't know what to do with yourself, somehow the careful colouring of patterns helps something to feel right again. Link to comment
Silverbirch Posted June 4, 2011 Author Share Posted June 4, 2011 Hi Grace, I'm sitting in front of the telly watching a chick flick and doing a practice mandala with coloring pencils and textas. Would like to make up a couple of small stencils of flowers of whatever to use as borders. It's very relaxing. Link to comment
GotMyLifeBack Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 A few years ago, after the worst BU of my life, I started writing jokes for standup comedy. In the process, I wrote a 3-act comedic play in which a caricature of my ex played a starring role (not that there needed to be any exaggeration of her antics). By revisiting the experience and casting it in a humorous light, I regained my power and self-respect. I went to perform at several open mics, with much of my material based on my experience with that crazy ex. Now I've got new material... hmmm... Link to comment
browneyedgirl36 Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 Great thread! I definitely use art as a way of healing -- especially in my last break-up. My "art" is mostly writing; I have always written in journals, but I have dabbled in poetry also, and right now I'm working with a mentor who is helping me with feedback on my poems. Our goal is to get together a collection for me to -- I hope -- get published. Even if I can get one or two of them published, I'd be thrilled! I also recently took a digital photography class. What fun! I felt VERY "creative" because I was noticing so much stuff I had never noticed before, and seeing my pictures printed out and mounted made me feel a great sense of accomplishment. I have dabbled in knitting, but I don't have the patience for it, unfortunately. I have TONS of skeins of yarn, all different sizes of needles, etc. and several "scarves-that-never-were" hanging around. I may go back to it at some point. Jewelry-making is something I've done a lot of. I haven't done it in awhile, but I have a whole case of supplies, and your thread reminded me how much I enjoyed it, and I need to get back to it. My next thing is going to be watercolor painting. I have some supplies, and I hope to take a class. Link to comment
.jpg.1626fbc48c04fd9021fd315819807524.thumb.jpg.882936eb5901fa05cf31c75617acde2e.jpg)
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.