Some days are more stressful than others, making it difficult to relax and be present in the moment. In the past, I have turned to a variety of different coping mechanisms to deal with these difficulties. Some of these methods included journaling, meditation, spending time with friends or even exercise. While these ways have worked extremely well for others, I found that nothing helped destress me more than performing something creative. For me, working with different forms of art has proven to be extremely effective when I am feeling stressed, whether it be from personal issues or school-related matters.
Sculpting with clay, drawing, painting or even digital art have been just some of the different art forms I have used to cope with strong emotions. Using my hands to accomplish something creative has allowed me to feel more engaged and in tune with myself. I’ve found these different forms of art to be tremendously helpful because they can be used to express emotions that you are unable to describe in words. You can let out all your emotions onto the paper, canvas or whatever tool you are using, in order to help yourself cope with the current feelings you are having.
In addition to expressing indescribable emotions, art also allows for time to pass incredibly fast. Whenever I sit down to work on an art piece, I feel like I have only been working for a few minutes. Sooner or later, I will check the time and realize I’ve been working for hours. This is very soothing for me because it allows me to completely disconnect from the world for a little while. By allowing me to zone out, focusing on only what I am creating at the moment, art becomes a form of meditation for me.
When I finally finish an art piece, I feel accomplished and much more relaxed than when I started. Even if I accomplished nothing else in the day, I feel complete because of the time and effort I spent creating something I am proud of. I hope that by reading this article you too are able to try out different art techniques, finding whichever one helps you manage stress the best.