EXPRESS YOURSELF WITH ART ACTIVITIES

An invitation to articulate your thoughts beyond the boundaries of mere words by creating your own artworks.

Mantra:  A word or phrase that inspires you and/or expresses your goals and/or beliefs.

Collage:  An artwork created by affixing a selection of objects (such as photographs, ribbons, and/or colored papers) to paper, board, or canvas.

Mandala:  A circular shape, design, or diagram representing wholeness within the organizational structure of life.  A mandala serves as a personal reminder of one’s connection to the infinite world that extends both beyond and within the body and mind.

1. Choose and inspirational word or phrase as your personal. Power mantra.
2. Use any art supplies to create a visual symbol of your special expression. 

MAKE A COLLAGE OF YOUR MANTRA

All you need is a selection of art materials, glue, and a surface on which to glue your materials (such as paper, board, or canvas).

CONTACT YOUR INNER SELF

Use this exercise as a direct way to make contact with your inner self.  Go inside and find meanings unique to you only. 

Note:  Avoid realism so you don’t have to think about what you’re drawing.

1. Find a quiet space where you won’t be interrupted for at least thirty minutes.  Before you start, you might want to play soft music and/or meditate on a particular question or issue.
2. Use markers or crayons to fill the paper with color and shapes.  The important thing is to free yourself from thoughts and just flow with the color.  Just let your hands draw without thought of outcome.  Be spontaneous and let go.  Let the piece flow and create itself.
3. When you are finished, outline shapes with a black or bright-colored sharpie (or other type of marker.)
4. Hang your finished picture in a place where you can examine it frequently and study the different shapes and objects that you find.  You’ll be surprised at what manifests.  Turn the paper different ways and you’ll find different shapes.                                            Are there any repeated patterns?                                                                                                                                                                              Do any emotions surface?                                                                                                                                                                                                Does the piece give you any clues to issues you may be encountering?                                                                                                          Journal any thoughts about this assignment.

STRESSBUSTER

1. Take five to ten minutes to draw and color just like you did when you were a child..  Don’t think - just color.
2. When you are done make a list of a few things you can do to begin the restoration of you.  Even the simplest thing can and will make a difference because it is those simple things that add up to create the big picture.
3. Title your list My list of simple things for me to do.

CREATE A BOARD GAME OR ROADMAP

Are you willing to settle?  For how long?

1. Create a board game or road map with what you really want as the final goal.  
2. Along the way place markers of areas where you might settle.

It might be fun to stop along the way periodically but is the path to your goal worth the diversion?  Notes for your board game may include:    My goal. Possible diversions.

FIND THE STILLNESS

Find the stillness - ask yourself the following three questions and journal the answers:

• What makes it difficult for you to take time to get emotional support for yourself?
• How was emotional release treated when you were young?
• How did adults treat you when you expressed your feelings?                                                                                                                                
• Play some music and begin to draw whatever comes to your mind after answering the above questions.  Let your hands do the work.  Pick colors at random.  Flow with the music and the supplies.

When you are done place the picture where you can view it and meditate on your images.  Use your intuition to guide you.  What difference do you think it would make in your life if you regularly took time to release emotions?