Monday, October 1, 2012

ANGER


Anger is just one of the primal emotions that if not understood or expressed constructively, can sabotage a person's relationships, career, academic life and one's ability to live an emotionally healthy life.  From a young age, we are given messages either consciously or unconsciously from those around us about our feelings and how or how not to express them. Anger, if not taken care of, is one emotion that can have us responding aggressively towards others or, kept inside of us causing health and emotional problems down the road. So, learning how to express anger constructively is vital to your well being. One way we can express anger is through art. Though, I will give you some tips on how to get to know your anger and steps you can take to calm yourself in the face of the anger beast.

First of all. What do you know about your anger? Do you have a tendency to lash out at others? Does your anger make you sad? Does your anger scare you and those around you? What were you taught about anger growing up? Were you allowed to be angry in your home? I don't mean throw or hit things or people, but were you given permission to say I'm really angry and I need help, or, were you told it's not OK to be angry? What do you do with your anger now? How do you take care of yourself when you feel angry? Let me give you some ideas on ways you can take care of your anger when it surfaces.
 Get to know your anger, i.e, don't push it down.  What you might want to do the next time you feel angry is:
1. Don't React!
2. Breath - Focus on your breathing.
3. Think before you speak.
4. Listen to other's opinions.
5. Walk away if you feel yourself getting ready to strike out at someone or something.
6. Go some place safe and hit a pillow.

In terms of art, I recommend you identify the color of your anger. How big is your anger? Does it take up the entire piece of paper or just a small area? What shape is your anger? If your anger were an animal, what would it be?  What are the triggers of your anger? How do you know when you are angry?

ART EXERCISE.
On a piece of paper, create an image of your anger. In other words, create a picture that represents your anger using, colored pencils, crayons, paint, collage or any medium you wish. What art material you use is not important. Give your anger a name. When you are finished with your art, you might want to dialogue with it. On another piece of paper, I'd like you to create a picture that represents what you know about your anger. The triggers, what helps you when you're angry?  Who can you talk to when you are angry? These are all important things to know about your anger and ways to take care of yourself when you do get angry. Also, identify in your body where you feel your anger and sooth that area as you breath and take some time out.

Peace.


Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Psychology of Color

Have you ever noticed how color can shift your mood? Color is all around us. But what is color?  "Color is light and energy." (www.arttherapyblog.com.) I've purposely created this post with many colors for you to see your reaction to the various colors. An example of how color can affect our mood is Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), which causes some individuals to experience depression in the winter months, when darkness arrives. Or, have you experienced a shift in mood when you look at a rainbow? It is really amazing how color can affect our state of being and it is important to know what colors calm us, excite us, bring us down, etc.  For the exercise below, you can mix colors or use the colors as they are. 

Saturday, September 1, 2012

What's YOUR Story?

We all walk around with a story about ourselves and our lives: No one loves me; I'm stupid; I'm ugly; I'll never be happy; I'll always be alone; I'll never have money. What's the story you walk around with inside of you? Do any of these stories sound familiar?  Have you ever thought of challenging that story? What about creating a new story? You can begin by creating a collage, a drawing, a clay image that represents a new story. This doesnt' mean you write a story that is out of reach such as I'm the wealthy person in the world...though it depends on how you define wealthy.  But, a story that is built on trust. A story that is filled with love and acceptance and a belief that I will be OK.

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

KINDNESS PLEDGE

Today, ________________, I _____________________promise to speak to myself with kindness, trust, acceptance and unconditional love.  I realize the healthiest relationship I can have is with myself. I refuse to beat myself up or doubt myself.  I will move through the day and night with the knowledge that I am whole and complete and where I am supposed to be. I will stay in the moment.  I will not compare myself to others or "should" on myself. If something is not working in my life, I will take steps to make changes and ask for help. My internal dialogue will be supportive and loving. I will not criticize or put myself down under any condition. I will love myself as if I were my own child.


Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Feeling Stressed - Create a Mandala


Here is a recent mandala I created using colored pencils.  Creating a mandala when we feel anxious, overwhelmed or in the mood to free ourselves of tension and stress can be a revealing and healing experience.  If you need to center yourself, regain a sense of calm or just need a space to let it out, a mandala might be just what the doctor ordered.

All you really need are colored pencils, pastels, markers or any other medium you like.  Any size paper will do and something to trace a circle with. Again, the size of the circle is up to you. You can even use your journal! Sometimes staring at a blank piece of paper can be intimidating, so I suggestion, after you draw your circle, stare at the circle for a few minutes.  You might want to imagine you are walking around inside the circle before you begin drawing. Breathe and place the pencil anywhere in the circle you wish. You might want to ask the mandala if it has any information for you. Or, if you are struggling with a dilemma in your life, ask for guidance. There is no right or wrong way to create a freestyle mandala other then allowing your true self to speak. You can stay inside the circle and/or draw outside the circle.

Try not to judge, or aim for perfection. Tape into your beginners mind and playful spirit and have fun! Remember, it is about the process and not the product that is so important to this experience.