Art is a guarantee of mental health

[chemonro]

"Art is a guarantee of sanity." Louise Bourgeois 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louise_Bourgeois

http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2012/apr/06/louise-bourgeois-freud

[Annabelle]

I love creating art. If I could I would paint adn draw and make collages and ignore everything else in my life, especially cooking. It is my great escape.

[chemonro]

[PeppiPatty]

It feels like 'deer boy,' owns a good deal of good.
He's showing Kind eyes ...

[Frog22]

Hi

Art for me has been extremely helpful after the death of my son.  I started to attend an art therapy group.  And being able to create something amidst this awfulness, was for me some sort of hope.  It gave me a place to put my feeling other than swirling around in my head.  My first painting was full of words on a black canvas.  Words like desolation, bane , tribulation, anguish, pain etc.  And the canvas stayed like that for about 6 months, then I decided to paint over the words with white but so you could still see the words through it.  I then did some dragon flys on top.  It signifies grief.  The pain will always be there but you have to put on your mask and keep going.  Never getting over anything but holding it all.  I was always told by my family that I missed the artistic genes, but now I don't care what others think, creating is what it's all about, not necesarily the final product.  I would advise anyone to just give it a go!!!!!

[chemonro]

I agree with frog, just give it a go! 

[Alessandra1992]

It was through anxiety that I discovered the joys of creating..in mosaics and then in quilting. Also exploring colour through doodles...really took my mind off the anxiety and into the project I was working on. Love trying tapestry too, anything that involved my hands really...vaguely exploring painting, in abstracts...

[PeppiPatty]

Cool reading people's inputs like Frog 22, Alessandra1992.
Inspirational, creative.

[PeppiPatty]

thank you for sharing. Frog22.
I've read your message 2 or 3 times.
it's good.

I find everything a difficult trial when I'm very tired. I read hobbits message on how he likes exercise and wish I could be like this. I. Am more motivated to skip now I'm contributing to this forum ....but again. I find it even difficult to do a drawing. I'm a fan of timetables and haven't written one up for about two weeks....maybe this will help me. Any ideas on the art?

[kristin]

Hi Frog,

I'm so sorry about the death of your son.

Your painting with the words and the dragon flies sounds very evocative. 

I agree art therapy can be incredibly helpful, so can art as therapy which is less directed but very freeing too.

I don't think it really matters so much what others think of our work from this space. It's nice if people appreciate it, but if they don't maybe it's because they don't get it. Not all art is meant to be pretty or whatever, like mental illness it doesn't fit in a single box. I think there is a lot of raw power and beauty in art produced by sufferers from MIs. Last year the community art group I'm part of held an exhibition called "Metamorphosis" and there was the most incredible range of amazing work.

I never thought I had any artisic genes either, but I've discovered that the art is its own reward. Keep creating 🙂 and encouraging.

Best regards,

Kristin