pause. breathe. check in. finding our centre again
#veryhumanartwalk #veryhumanregulation #selfregulation #selfregulationskills
plant in our kitchen
water soluble carbon on paper
Still sick today but a 2 month + creative process (writing a script) has begun to reveal its deep wisdom and learning to us and we are once again reminded why we are artists. Because it is in the deep agony of creating from scratch that we discover hidden knowing and shadows of possibilities we would never have uncovered any other way. Today we are reminded of why we don’t like to live in the concrete. Concrete is human made. Nature and the divine are anything but … and so we find ourselves reaching, beyond all understanding … thank you art.
drawing by Taylor
writing by Kendall
#veryhumanartwalk it’s a thing!
In actual fact, despite our precarious relationship with actually showing up to do it each day, sigh, it’s time and time again proven itself to be our most effective mental health “support tool” for want of a better phrase.
And it’s as easy as committing to going for a wander each and every day and picking one thing, just one thing, and then photographing it or drawing or painting or scribbling or splotching or singing or dancing or writing or all and sundry or whatever entices you or excites you today. Make it ART. And let the whole experience serve you - to centre, to ground, to check in, to notice, to feel, to engage, to interact, to anchor, to invigorate, to enliven, to calm, to whatever it is you need to do TODAY. If you’re feeling brave, please share your version in the comments or on your own social media - don’t forget to us the hashtag #thedailyartwalk so we can find each other. Join our private community if you’d like to really get posting and sharing in a safe space.
Another option is to simply wait for our pic each day and then riff it - let it inspire you to create something that is yours with our piece as a starting point. We have one friend who has taken our daily leaves and made collages, pipe cleaner leaves, sketches and even polymer clay sculptures! How awesome is that?
How We Go About It (IF you’re looking for some more guidance)
We go outside (fresh air) and pay attention to nature and other details in the world around us (focusing tool). Each day we select one item or snap a photo with our phone and bring it home. On days we can’t get out, we investigate and pay new attention and find something in our home. We then select the medium that most matches our mood or that we feel will be the most regulating in that moment and we set to work drawing or photographing or sculpting or writing or singing or dancing or all of the above (regulating our nervous system and bringing ourselves back on line through hyper focusing)
We set an alarm for 20 minutes (our containment) but you figure out what works best for you. Sometimes a quick 5 will do; other times it feels like we need half a day, doesn't it? We do often repeat this exercise several times through the day when it's a real doozy of a day. Smile
Remember - there’s no good or bad or even in between! It’s all about process and experience and ANYONE and EVERYONE can do that.