Life isn’t easy. You have to face numerous challenges in the journey of life. Sometimes you may come across a stumbling block that may be difficult to overcome, which can add to your daily stress and increase anxiety. It is therefore of utmost importance to stay on top of your mental health.
A good way to do that is to start an art journal. An art journal, much like your normal journal, is a space for free expression of your thoughts, feelings or events. It is essentially a diary for anything you can think of through symbolic forms. There are no rules to art journaling—you don’t need to know how to draw, write well or worry about messing up techniques you have never attempted before. You just need to be you.
The essential point to remember is that the process of engagement is more important than the result. Its main purpose is not to be pleasing to the eye but to let you express yourself in a way that makes you ‘you.’ You don’t need to worry about the aesthetics—the images you draw may not be like the ones you had in mind. But that’s alright. As long as you are participating in the activity, you will benefit from it.
Also, you don’t need much to start an art journal. Simple art materials and a willingness to play with them are enough. By engaging in this activity, you can de-stress, get things off your chest and even figure out what’s bothering you. Keeping at it for a while will ensure you become more creative, allowing your mind to be free.
If the concept has made you curious, then read on to know how art journaling can help you manage your stress and anxiety.
Helps explore feelings
Art journaling can be a great source of comfort for someone dealing with complicated emotions. Oftentimes, complex feelings such as sadness or anger cannot be expressed in words. This habit can give you a healthy outlet for such expressions. As you create art, you open up a space of exploration of your feelings, which in turn helps you recognise troubling emotions. Consequently, you learn to let go of whatever it is that is weighing you down, helping you relax your mind and body.
The main purpose of art journaling is not to be pleasing to the eye but to let you express yourself in a way that makes you ‘you.’ The process of engagement is more important than the result.
Art journaling helps manage stress and anxiety by providing a healthy outlet to explore complicated emotions, act as a form of self-care, gain clarity about one’s feelings, and take the mind off daily worries. It boosts creativity and reduces stress through free expression and creative energy.
You don’t need any specific artistic skills to start an art journal. Simple art materials and a willingness to play with them are enough to begin expressing yourself creatively and benefiting from the process.
Comments