What is Meditative Creative Play
During create play there is no bad art. It is a time to ask questions and allow curiosity or expression to guide you. Let go of judgements and give space and time to use the materials you have, the sensations you feel, and the environment you're experiencing. Creative Play is having confidence in questions and allowing there to be no final answers. Experimentation, ideas and materials guide creative play.
In creative play there is NO BAD ART.
Color
When I begin to feel sadness and heaviness, I like to work with color. Color is powerful. Color allows us to express how we feel without verbally defining our feelings. Join me:
1. Grab some paint
2. Intuitively follow colors that are being called to you or choose colors that express how you feel
3. Move the color around the page
4. Repeat
This is a chance for us to ask questions of the materials we are using - how they interact with one another and how the combinations change as we add more colors. Color has the power to communicate and alter our mood. We can uplift ourselves, if even for a moment, with color. We can see how light overpowers the darkness, and we can remember that there is always, always beauty in the world 🌈
Pattern
Before I start each work day, I like to warm up with a simple art exercise. Today, I am working with pattern. The kitchen rug is a great repetitious pattern. I’m using this time to loosen my mind and let go of any anxiety that creeps in before I start each day.
This exercise is very simple and doesn’t take much analytical thought. I am creating a repetitious pattern so my mind can relax and let go. This is something you can do too:
1. Look around your space
2. Find a pattern
3. Give yourself 20 to 30 minutes repeat the pattern.
By following an easy pattern, we are able to let go and create space for our mind to stop thinking. Removing verbal processing, even for a brief time, gives way for our visual mind to take over. This allows us to take a break from the mental chatter that can cloud and complicate our day. Meditative creative play is a great time for you to let go, let loose, and to create
Body Mapping
Body Mapping is a helpful tool for checking in with our bodies. We can express, narrate, and explore how our bodies feel without using words.
Visual expression allows us to examine how our bodies feel without judgement. Removing verbal processing, even for a brief time, gives way for our visual mind to take over. This allows us to take a break from any negative thoughts that may arise when we check in with our body throughout this exercise.
Download a body map. Begin to check in with your body. Use color to express how your body feels. You can also add in patterns, shapes, and symbols.
Body mapping is an intuitive practice. Use this time to let go, let loose, and to create something that isn’t good, bad, or anything - this is a time for you to be one with your body.