Art For Art Sake, And Your Own

Before writing my column this week, I sat down and asked my four-year-old daughter what she thought that I should write about. She immediately looked up at me with her huge blue eyes and said, "Art, Mom, write about art." Out of the mouths of babes, she came up with a great idea for me.

Whenever my daughter feels upset or is missing her father, she goes for her art desk. She colors, paints, cuts, draws and play-doughs until the entire area is filled with her wonderful creations. The room also becomes a gigantic mess, but it is a small price to pay for my daughter to be able to express her feelings. She tells me that she wants to be an artist when she grows up, just like her aunt Robin. She also wants to be a firewoman, hairdresser, ballerina, and doctor. I tell her that to do all of those things she will be in school for a very long time and then I say go for it. You can be anything you want to be!

The art, in particular, is wonderful for her. She gets out frustrations, tells stories and relieves her own stress just by doing her fabulous art. I am so glad that she has that within her. Art therapy is key in getting a child to communicate their feelings. If this is so effective for a child, does it not make sense that is can be wonderful for adults as well?

Now, I am not an artist myself. I draw lovely stick people and flat houses. But who cares? Your art comes from your soul and that means that anything you create can be as original as you are yourself.

Art can free you up and allow you to return to your childhood. When you create something, two things happen. One your mind can go anywhere and you might be surprised as to what you create. There are no guidelines for you to follow, because everyone's art is an expression that comes from within. Also, the tactile side of this is great. Have you ever squished your fingers through finger paints, (or your toes, which is popular in my household. We like to paint with our feet.) Feel the materials or the way your arm moves while coloring. You can do this fast or slow, in circles or zigzags. There is physical motion to art that is very effective for many to relieve stress.

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