Art For Arts' Sake!

Hello Friends,

Last week, I wrapped up two long-standing projects and felt a sense of relief that I could finally turn a page on those, and dive into the music projects that motivate me more. And yet, last Friday I couldn't bear to face the computer...

Instead, I confess that I got lost in a renewed love for an old hobby - embroidery beading! I wanted to touch something, feel something... I need to invite some colour into my greige life. Rainbows of shiny beads would lift my spirits! And so I sketched out a couple of patterns and dived in...

Here are some of the things that happened over the course of three days of working with my hands, needle, thread and tiny glass beads:

• l lost all sense of time - hours passed by (beading is painstakingly slow)
• Focused on the task, I was able to not only tune out the noise, but turn off the conflicting voices in my head
• I started to feel my finger tips and then found my coordination so that needle and fabric, and bead and thread danced
• I felt emotions spill out from me - negative feelings (that I hadn't truly acknowledged) evaporated as love and best wishes were powered into the work with intention
• Seemingly random thoughts came to me in the short breaks (rethreading a needle, sipping a drink, etc) As time passed, these musings created a conversation of sorts between my different selves - the past, present and the future versions of me. No irritation or tension, just observations
• I caught myself smiling and even humming... often!

There is something about working with our hands that settles the heart and mind.

Indeed, the practice of beading and embroidery has been recognized as art therapy in light blogs and more serious articles and scientific journal papers.


 

What does this mean for you, as an Artist?!

I got to thinking about how artists might be feeling overwhelmed feeling right now... As translators of our lives, artists are most often empaths. In normal times, there's room to step back from observations and feelings, to work them into song and then deliver them back to the world. But right now, there's no space at all - every day brings a new load of woe and worry to sort through... without respite! In a sense, artists can't escape their essential work right now... even if they're grounded and "not working", they're working... I wondered whether some form of tangible art creation might be therapeutic for you.

Pottery, collage, weaving, baking, carpentry... anything with texture and form that meets the hands can offer relief! When one art form is your work, it can be healthy to step away from it for a while and enjoy something entirely different for yourself - with no expectation of gain or glory... just the quelling of doubt and distress....

It was good for me to get lost in the "flow"... In fact, today I came across an article in The New York Times called: There’s a Name for the Blah You’re Feeling: It’s Called Languishing It explains that between the states of "happiness" and "depression" lies a middle condition called "languishing" where while we don't feel hopeless, we can feel "joyless and aimless"... and the way out is finding that state of "flow"... That article confirmed what I had experienced and observed and compelled me to share this with you!

I strongly encourage you to give yourself some time to play, to dabble in something delightful... to set aside deadlines and drama, to let the colours and shapes speak to you and for you.

You might be surprised at how great you feel during and afterwards!
It was strange to take a weekend off. But this morning, when I turned the computer on, I was so much more focused and productive, having taken that creative break - and knowing that I can get back to it very soon!

xo Nat