How to start your own art project
Getting to the art of it
Not sure which art is for you? Catherine Taylor, an expressive arts therapist from Toronto, suggests some ideas to try out.
• Keep a basket of percussion instruments at your home: a little drum, tambourine, clappers. Put on a CD, immerse yourself in the music and use the instruments to experiment with different rhythms.
• Making collages is great for those who hesitate to use a pen or paintbrush. Leaf through magazines, cut out pictures that "speak" to you and glue them on paper in a way that pleases you.
• To create poems, keep a "word bowl" handy containing slips of paper, each with an evocative word written on them, such as luscious or kerplunk. Choose 10 to 15 words and arrange them in an order that feels right to you, adding other words as you see fit.
• Clay can provide lots of sensory satisfaction, and easily lets you change what you don't like. You could try imbuing a figurine or amulet with a feeling or goal that could help you get through a difficult time. Keep it in your pocket or on a windowsill as a remembrance. If you don't have an image in mind, work with the clay awhile and an image will likely take form.
Loosen up!
New to art? Here are some tips from expressive arts therapist Catherine Taylor on how to let loose and make the most of it.
• Put your inner critic to sleep. Your purpose is to express yourself, in this moment, so don't judge your work by preconceived standards.
• Concentrate on being in the moment. Think of how children play -- serious but spontaneous, changing as new things arise.
• Take your time. Don't force it.
• Try sculpting with your eyes closed or drawing with a felt pen between your toes. You may be surprised at how meaningful the images can be, and you'll likely get a healthy dose of laughter in the process.
• When you have finished art-making, reflect on what you have created with respect and compassion. What is it telling you that you need to know? How can its message be integrated into your life in a productive way?
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