Art Relieves Stress Even if you Suck at it!

Recently one of my online friends sent me an article about how making art reduces stress even if you suck at it. I love that she sent that to me because it is the exact message I want to send out with the kind of art I do. 

What I do and what I teach isn't about "what" you make. It is about the fun and joy of just stepping into creative flow and playing with art supplies. 

And I know so many of you are thinking, "I suck and art! I can't do it!  What if it looks bad?" Well let me tell you...I have those thoughts every time I start making anything. Those feelings aren't reserved for only some people...everyone has either had those feelings or has them. It is not at all unique and doesn't determine your ability to explore your creativity. 

I personally believe that everyone is creative and that everyone deserves to explore their creativity. Think back to the cavemen. They weren't worried about how their horse was going to look, they just knew they had to carve that shape out onto the cave wall. Our creativity goes back eons and that urge is still in everyone. It is only fear that holds us back. 

The difference between you and me is that I say, "Screw it! I am doing it anyway!" Half the time I am in the middle of what I am making and I am hating it and I just wonder, "Well, what can I do to make it worse?" or "If this feeling had a color what would it be?" and I go with it and sometimes it looks worse and sometimes magic happens and it looks great. I have to remind myself that it is just paint and paper and it's not that serious!

The thing is that when I am following my truth and doing what my intuition tells me I don't really care what it looks like in the end. It can look pretty crappy and I am still in love with it because it came from deep inside me and it felt so good to let it out. 

I'm going to be honest, I've been in a bit of a funk the last week or so...I haven't wanted to do anything much less create but I've been forcing myself to doodle and play and I know for sure that it helps. I feel better when I allow myself to be creative and science is beginning to tell us that it is true! Creativity can lift your mood, release stress and make you feel good. 

Now, I would love for you to come over and make some art with me but you can do it right now in your own home. Get out some markers or crayons or just a pen and start doodling. Remind yourself that you can just toss the paper away when you are done so consider it a chance to just be free and have a little fun.

Of course it's always more fun to do it with a group so check out the upcoming Freedom Art Intro and come join me! 

xo

Art Relieves Stress Even if you Suck at it!

Recently one of my online friends sent me an article about how making art reduces stress even if you suck at it. I love that she sent that to me because it is the exact message I want to send out with the kind of art I do. 

What I do and what I teach isn't about "what" you make. It is about the fun and joy of just stepping into creative flow and playing with art supplies. 

And I know so many of you are thinking, "I suck and art! I can't do it!  What if it looks bad?" Well let me tell you...I have those thoughts every time I start making anything. Those feelings aren't reserved for only some people...everyone has either had those feelings or has them. It is not at all unique and doesn't determine your ability to explore your creativity. 

I personally believe that everyone is creative and that everyone deserves to explore their creativity. Think back to the cavemen. They weren't worried about how their horse was going to look, they just knew they had to carve that shape out onto the cave wall. Our creativity goes back eons and that urge is still in everyone. It is only fear that holds us back. 

The difference between you and me is that I say, "Screw it! I am doing it anyway!" Half the time I am in the middle of what I am making and I am hating it and I just wonder, "Well, what can I do to make it worse?" or "If this feeling had a color what would it be?" and I go with it and sometimes it looks worse and sometimes magic happens and it looks great. I have to remind myself that it is just paint and paper and it's not that serious!

The thing is that when I am following my truth and doing what my intuition tells me I don't really care what it looks like in the end. It can look pretty crappy and I am still in love with it because it came from deep inside me and it felt so good to let it out. 

I'm going to be honest, I've been in a bit of a funk the last week or so...I haven't wanted to do anything much less create but I've been forcing myself to doodle and play and I know for sure that it helps. I feel better when I allow myself to be creative and science is beginning to tell us that it is true! Creativity can lift your mood, release stress and make you feel good. 

Now, I would love for you to come over and make some art with me but you can do it right now in your own home. Get out some markers or crayons or just a pen and start doodling. Remind yourself that you can just toss the paper away when you are done so consider it a chance to just be free and have a little fun.

Of course it's always more fun to do it with a group so check out the upcoming Freedom Art Intro and come join me! 

xo

Doodle Your Day Away

I love to doodle. I have always doodled. Whenever there is a pen and scrap piece of paper I am doodling. It's just who I am. 

So when my friend was asking me about how to doodle I wasn't exactly sure what to say. How do you explain something that is just part of who you are?

She started asking questions about what pens or markers I use and how I know what to doodle. I decided that I would do a livestream on my Facebook Page all about doodling. Go on over there and check it out. 

Of course once I started that doodle I couldn't stop so I spent the rest of the afternoon finishing it. I paid attention to some of the things I was doing and thought I could go into a little more detail here. 

If you look at the top image you can see the very beginning stages of my leaf doodle. I was using some different colors in the background and it looks a bit messy. In the bottom photo I added a third color that kind of blended the two and added some depth and then added some little dashes all around to make the background look very deliberate. It feels a bit more cohesive to me even with all the crazy little detail.

Speaking of detail. If you look at the leaves themselves, you will notice that the bottom image has a lot more detail. I added dots, dashes and lines in a silver pen that really makes them pop.

You will also notice that the outline of the leaves is far from perfect. Making that outline a bit off center really gives it a casual look. I could have upped this even more by varying the size of that line. 

When you can manipulate the negative space and create shapes with the white paper you can get an interesting look. Add some lines and dots and everything pops and looks fun. 

Using different sized lines can really add interest to the page too. You can see the lines in the purple ripple starting very thick and getting thinner and thinner as they move up. There is also a variance in line thickness in the yellow section as well. 

This is a good spot to point out that there is no need for perfection in doodles. Wonky lines and imperfect circles add to the fun of the it. Leaving spots of white shining through can give it a fun, three dimensional feel instead of just being boring and flat so let go of any desire to be perfect and just have fun!

Using several colors in the same family will add a lot of depth to your doodles. In the leafy stem section there are at least 3 different shades of green mixed together to give it a nice feel. 

The truth is, you cannot go wrong with your doodles. Grab some markers and just start having a little fun. Experiment and play with different color combinations. You might just surprise yourself. 

How to Have an Awesome Art Party

What a great night! I could not be happier about the outcome of my first open house at The Creative Healing Studio! So many great people came out and had fun doodling, painting, and drawing. 

 Food was set out and drinks were prepared. 

Everyone had a chance to create a collaboration on a big piece of paper. 

I was so happy to have a great group of kids too.

Hours of doodling and painting left some fantastic art and gave the studio so much great energy.

The doodle table was a favorite of many.

In fact, the fun continued after midnight!

 And I even got some men in on the fun. 

Thank you to everyone who came out. My first Freedom Art Class is this Thursday and I am offering a 50% discount to all first timers who have signed up for my newsletter. You can sign up here and you get my free ebook, Take Back Your Life with Freedom Art™.

Mixing Business and Pleasure

My husband had a business trip to San Diego and asked me if I wanted to tag along.

San Diego?

Of course!

We decided to extend the tip a few days and make a vacation out of it. We fit a lot in and had such a great time.

And then it was time for him to go to work and what's a girl to do with all that free time?

Create of course!

I found an awesome Expressive Art Studio online before I even boarded the plane. I signed up for classes and even arranged to rent the studio for a little one on one time with paints. 

On the first day I arrived a bit early and decided to hang out at Santo's,  the local coffee shop. It was such a cute place and I really got myself in the right frame of mind while relaxing on the patio. 

 And the coffee was delicious!

Then it was time to play! It was such a fun space filled with color and tons of art supplies! I felt like a kid in a candy store!

The first day we played with collage. Working with color, image and texture we created pieces that reflected how we were feeling in the moment. 

  

Day two began with my private studio time. I taped up a large piece of paper to the wall...oooh the possibilities!

The tempera paints were especially vibrant and I just went to town. What pure joy it was to just play. There are a few little monsters that decided to show up. I welcomed them and let them speak their peace. 

She had a whole room just for sand play. I had never done anything like this before so I decided to spend a little time in there. 

The process was meditative and relaxing. It reminded me of my mosaic days a bit. No pressure though, just playing in the sand. 

I headed across the street for a bit of lunch and reflection time. 

Then it was time for Painting Aerobics. A wonderful bunch of women, paint, paper and some fun music. It was time to let my paintbrush dance. 

It was such a fun experience. No thought, no worries, just dancing around and splashing paint. 

The whole trip was great and my little art retreat was amazing. 

As women we need to refuel ourselves and fill our well. A creative retreat is absolutely perfect because tapping into the creative energy flow shifts you out of the everyday. It brings you to a place of infinite possibility and allows you to play in wonder. 

You don't have to go anywhere to give yourself the gift of a creative retreat. 

You can bring some crayons and paper outside and sit in the sun and color. 

You can play with magazines and cut and paste into a journal. 

You can play in the sand at your local beach and make patterns. 

But, if you're in San Diego or just passing through, you should definitely stop by and visit Tish for a little fun!

Vision Pages

My very first pages in my new 2015 journal are vision pages. I wanted to keep it simple and just create a vision for what I want 2015 to feel like. 

 As I browsed through some magazines I really kept the thought of how I want to FEEL. That is an important part of the process. When you can zone into your feelings you end up with something very powerful. 

 As you can see from the pages, I have quite a few different feelings going on. There is the serenity and spiritual connection from the beauty of nature, the alive and vibrancy of green veggies, the sassiness and confidence exuded from the ladies. 

This picture of the boy in boxing gloves doesn't quite seem to fit but I assure you, it is one of the most powerful parts for me. 

I had decided to write just a little bit around each photo to express what it was that I was wanting and here is what I wrote about this boy:

I want to live with the gentle innocence of a child, the strength of a fighter and the confidence of an Ali. 

Whoo, love it!

 Have you created any vision pages for how you want your 2015 to feel?

I invite you to DO IT!

xo

Michelle

2015 Art Journal

 I am organizationally challenged. I have like to think it is because my creative brain is firing so fast and furious that organization takes a back seat. I've tried many different ways to organize my ideas and my art and I have found that the K.I.S.S technique holds true for me.

Look at all those beautiful notebooks above. I went out and purchased all of them with the great idea that I would put all business ideas in one notebook, all blog ideas in another, all notes from things I learned in a third and so on.

One day I was on a Skype call with my awesome friend Kristi and I told her how I had misplaced the notes from our last talk in one of my notebooks. I had no idea what notebook it was in or where it was. She suggested I find a basket to keep them all in. Great idea! I did it and it really has helped.

But I have come to find out that I am an all in one kind of girl. I need to have one notebook to keep all my stuff in so I know where it is.

Here is what I have incorporated into my life:

Bullet Journal

I started a bullet journal last year and I absolutely love it! It makes keeping everything so organized. I use it for my to do lists, shopping, menu planning and general note taking. It is really for running the household.

I got a small journal that I can bring with me in my purse and at any moment I can write down anything and everything I need. Here are some of the pages from my bullet journal.

 One Art Journal

 


There are some amazing journals out there. I have some really nice mixed media ones that have thick pages and hold the paint really well. But, if I'm being honest, I have to tell you that my favorite journal is a cheap, student grade journal I get at Michael's Craft Store.

The pages are thin and they buckle with paint. Sometimes what I write shines through on the other side and sometimes I have to glue two pages together but I have to tell you I love it. As you can see, my old journal was well loved which just adds to the charm as far as I'm concerned.

It's a simple, non intimidating place to play and have fun. I don't have to worry about messing anything up. I can put everything in there...collage, paint, writing, crayon drawings, sketches...it all goes in the same journal. Easy peasy!

OK, I must confess, I still have a few of those spiral notebooks lying around because who doesn't need a spiral notebook?!

I would love to know how you organize your life and your art.