Art and healing
Hello my visionary artist,
I'm excited to talk to you today about art for healing yourself.
Click here to watch my Youtube video on the same topic.
Just as a way for you to know a little bit about me, my name is Jessica Libor, and I'm an artist, curator and art professor at a university here in Philadelphia. My own journey as an artist started when I was just 5 years old, I was holding a pencil in my hand drawing and as soon as I knew what being an artist was, I knew it was what I wanted to do with my life. My work is mostly about nature and the feminine, and how the beauty and glamour of nature are reflected in women as well. I'm interested in living closer to nature as a way to be more grounded and fulfilled in life as well! As human beings, we ARE nature, so it makes sense that when we get out in the natural world, we experience higher levels of peace.
However, humans are quite special out of all of the world's creation because we alone have the power to create. Although you could argue there's a lot of artistic beauty made by animals, like the beautiful nests of birds or the spider webs designs, these were not made with the conscious intent of creating art or of communicating a message...they were just made out of instinct, and utility, as beautiful as they may be! That's why we don't see galleries of animal art that reflects the experience of being a cat, for instance. They don't have the consciousness to create something beyond instinct.
But we as humans, we have the incredible power to create! We can record what's around us, our own feelings, and our own imagination. This is so powerful! That means that anything we are going through, can be transmitted onto the paper or canvas. This is very magical. There is a process called “transmutation” that occurs when we take our thoughts, and our way of seeing the things around us, and use our hands to create an image with paint or pencil. It's a direct reflection of the spirit of the person making the art. Just like your signature is a reflection of your identity, so is each stroke of your brush! That's why each artist's work is different—we all have different experiences so we all come from a different place of identity!
There's a lot of uncertainty going on right now, with the virus sweeping the world, and with that can come a lot of stress. We worry about our loved one's health, we worry about getting sick ourselves, and on top of that many of us have lost our jobs, and are worrying about where the money is going to come from, or what we are going to do next in our lives. There's a lot of anxiety around this situation, and I definitely empathize. I definitely have moments where I am worried about my loved ones, about what comes next, about finances—all of that! However, I wanted to share a few things that can help to alleviate stress and anxiety thinking when that happens for you and how making art can help you let go of this anxiety.
So, the first thing is to write down exactly what is making you stress. Just as short and concise as you can, just write out in your journal the main thing you're worrying about. It should take less than 5 minutes! But, it's good to get it out of your brain because studies have shown that once something is written down, you have better power to let it go.
Next, go outside and find a few flowers or branches—anything from nature that catches your eye! It doesn't have to be flowers, it can also be sticks or leaves. To day I have some bluebells, and a beautiful pink hyacinth! Arrange them in a way you like. Then, gather some art supplies of your choice! I like watercolor for this exercise, because it's so flowing and easy to work with, and it's fun to see the colors together! What I have here is a sheet of watercolor paper, watercolor set, and a few brushes. However, you don't have to use watercolor. If all you have is a pencil and paper, use that. You could also use markers, colored pencils, oils...anything you like! Ok once you have your supplies set up, I want you to put on your favorite music—anything that is peaceful and gets you in a good mood! I like to search for “upbeat classical” or “lofi beats” or anything atmospheric that kind of gets you in a relaxed mood!
And then just get painting! You don't have to be an artist or know anything about art to express yourself. Just let your mind drift off with the music, and don't worry to much about making a masterpiece. What I DO want you to do is to look very closely at the objects that you are painting. Look at the way each one leans, the texture of it, the color of it, its personality. You don't have to capture every little detail, just the mood and shape of each object. When you concentrate on capturing the object, you start to lose any other worries and just focus on the task at hand. For most people this will be challenging! Art is a challenge, and anyone who does art understands this focus. During times when you are stressed or anxious, this challenge is really good, because it puts your worries on pause and gives your mind a different challenge to work on. One that you have a lot of control over. And one that will put you in a state of flow!
I wanted to talk about Flow for a second because some of you may not be familiar with the concept! So “Flow” describes a flow state, also called being in the zone, is the mental state in which a person performing an activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and enjoyment in the process of the activity. In essence, flow is characterized by the complete absorption in what one does, and a resulting transformation in one's sense of time.
I remember creating a drawing in my studio one day and losing track of time. It was a huge piece, and I started and finished it within a 6 hour period. I remember being shocked at the time that had passed because if felt like just an hour. I was SO absorbed in the task of the drawing that I didn't realize so much time had passed! And, when I stopped and looked at the piece it was one of my favorite pieces I'd ever done. Now, you don't need to paint for 6 hours to create flow in your own practice, it can happen very quickly—whenever you absorb yourself in a project! And art is one of the best ways to do this.
Once you've finished your piece, you'll probably feel very calm and relaxed. This is because being in a flow state will produce endorphins, the feel good chemical in your brain. When you're finished you can go back to your journal and look at what was making you feel stressed. Then, write down 5 ways that you have the power to help or solve the problem you were worrying about---this will help you feel more control of your situation and that you aren't helpless.
I hope this has helped you guys and brought some light into these times! If you want to see more about what I do, I have a podcast on Itunes called the Inspired Painter Podcast, and a free mini-course for artists to visioncast their ideal year creatively and financially—click here to grab it for free!
I also have a master course for the artist who wants to discover her own worthiness and create beautiful, aligned artwork that readies her for high-level opportunities in the art world. If you're interested in this, just shoot me an email at jlibor@jessicalibor.com or DM on Instagram @visionaryartistssalon!
Remember that you have all you need within you to heal, to bring peace, and create joy! Art can be a way you can bring that into your life.
With love, light, and creativity,