Are you feeling emotionally tired and drained? Do you often feel suffocated to an extent that you want to explode? Are the incessant thundering thoughts affecting your productivity at work? Then it is high time we introduced you to Art Therapy, one of the most wondrous miracles of science.

This form of therapy works like magic, making the best use of colors and your imagination. Do you know that every color represents a different feeling, a different emotion? Color psychology  is truly fascinating. And when you apply this science in the form of therapy, it presents superb healing power and acts like a medicine for your mind and soul.

Following are 10 extremely useful Art Therapy techniques that I found to be stimulating and refreshing. Incorporate these activities in your daily routine and feel the change yourself.

1.       Make your own greeting cards: The art of making your own greeting cards has simply vanished from the society. Do you remember pouring our heart out and designing cards with pure genuineness? Revive this lost tradition by crafting and painting your own cards at different occasions. Be it Christmas, Diwali, Birthday, Eid or a simple congratulations or thank you note, stop spending your money on purchasing cards. The ones you make yourself will be cherished longer and will have a more lovable impact.

2.       The miracles of scrap books: Do you have an undying love for a fandom or a whole stack of graduation pictures? Purchase a scrapbook and get extra creative with it. Add stickers, paint beautiful covers and add interesting captions for everything. It is sure to take your mind off things for a while and give you peace of mind.

Scrapbook therapy

3.       Digital collages: If you are short on supplies or you don’t trust your handicraft, you can use your computer for a digital collage. There are numerous programs for this purpose so choose whatever resonates with you. It is an excellent way to gather up the unforgettable memories.

Digital collages

4.       Draw to the rhythm in your ears: Plug in your earphones, turn on your favorite music track and listen to it with full concentration. Take a paper and a pen and start drawing whatever you feel. You don’t have to be particular about your doodle; just draw what the rhythms make you feel. It can be a beautiful natural scene or just a few hearts or squiggly lines. It helps vent out.

5.        Explore the chalk zone: Chalks are not just for kids, trust me on that. You can create a few things then simply rub it away. It is an excellent way to vent the bottled up emotions and get rid of the unwanted negativities. Color out your thoughts with chalks and feel the change in your moods.

6.       The artistic heart: On countless websites, I have come across this unique technique. Draw a heart first and then fill it up with your emotions. Your aim is to make a map of your heart. This is a great step toward art therapy as your heart is the source of all emotions. Fill the heart with colors or your desires or your dreams. You can find photos as well and get a bit more creative!

Heart map

7.       Finger painting: You’re never too young for finger painting. If you are a huge contemporary art fan, check out Irish Scott’s paining online. Her unwavering talent with finger painting is so soothing to watch. I’ve tried this technique myself and I enjoyed it a lot. Trust your fingers and let them do their magic.  

Geisha- Irish Scott (Finger painting)

8.       Keep it simple with lines, shapes & patterns: Stress can be represented best with lines, shapes and patterns. Keep it dark and let your negative emotions flow with the help of lines. Another trick is to simply close all the lights of your room and start drawing lines. Do you get that sudden urge to draw patterns? Make the most of it this way and you’ll be amazed with the results.

Lines shapes patterns

9.       Say hi to Zentangle: Zentangle is probably the best Art Therapy technique ever. Although it is a proper therapy and must be taught by a teacher, you can try it on your own by checking out the basics here. It makes use of curved lines and squiggles, then switching to tangles and numerous shapes and patterns. This creates a Zentangle. Please do experiment with colors; it produces some excellent masterpieces.

Zentangle

10.   The special box: Did you ever have a person in your life that gave you a lot of memories and then simply vanished? Now you are stuck amid the chaos of their presence and absence. It’s okay. You have to forgive them and yourself. Make a special box and call it your forgiveness box. Add the name of the person to that box and draw soothing images or write wonderful words. This will help you mitigate the negative emotions toward that person. You can create a special memories box for any loved one you have lost.

Remember, Art Therapy is your friend in the times of distress. Art Therapy will assist you in paving a path back to the good ol’ healthy days and regain your lost peace of mind. Keep smiling!