Mindful Art at Home - Videos!

9 Nov

I’ve created four on demand guided Mindful Art making videos for Georges River Libraries which you can access for free below in this blog post.

All of these art activites have been created with accessibility in mind i.e. focusing on using items that exist within your home. Not only does this make it easy to get started it also plants a question in your mind: what if there is creativity all around me all the time, even in my home?

The answer is: there absolutely is. The real question is can you make time to in a state that allows you to be able to recieve creative impulses? Sometimes this state is called ‘Play.’

Everyone is talking about play nowadays - it’s the new buzzy word on the street. But how often do we really do it as adults? As in, doing things without an end goal or without a defined step by step of what to do. I often tell people adults don’t now how to play; that’s something that has been stripped out of us from an early age. And as someone who’s whole creative practice is based on play and collaboration I can tell you it is legitimately a struggle sometimes to get out the striving mindset and into pure play.

So how do we start to play again?

Well, let’s use rollerskating as an example. Say I used to rollerskate as a child and I want to start again as an adult but I can’t remember how - What if I can’t do it? What if I look like a fool? Thoughts of failure come to mind. Fair enough. I wouldn’t just strap on some rollerskaters and take to the footpath like a bat out of hell. No, maybe I’d find a local rollerskating class that offers beginners classes or perhaps I’d visit rollerskating rink and rent some skates and see how I fare making it around the rink. In other words, I go to the place that offers the activity; the space, time and container where I can fully be present to the activity. I find my footing and start waking up that old muscle memory, slowly. And as someone who has recently done just that (re-engaged in roller skating as an adult) you’ll find your way back into the joy of things quite quickly.

In other words, step back into play gently; with guidance and support.

So perhaps you are a creative and you feel quite disconnected from making art. Well perhaps these videos will be a welcome and gentle entry back into your creative practice. Not only that, taking time to slow down through art making is an act of self care; so make sure you congratulate yourself for giving yourself some space to breathe, create and play.