What Is Mindful Art? How Does It Work?

Last Updated on February 17, 2023 by Tracey McGrath

Mindfulness is a way of being in the present moment without judgment. Mindful Art uses art as a way to practice mindfulness.  It helps you become aware of your thoughts and feelings, and learn how to respond rather than react.

What is Mindfulness?

Mindfulness is a state of mind.   It is when you are fully conscious of what is happening in the moment. You pay attention to the present moment with acceptance and without judgment.  For more information on mindfulness, check out my post on What Mindfulness Is.  And grab a FREE mindful journal to start a simple daily mindfulness practice!

Is Mindfulness the Same as Meditation?

No, mindfulness is not necessarily meditation. Mindfulness is the practice of paying attention. It can be practiced anywhere and anytime. That could be simply noticing your surroundings. It could be pausing to take an intentional deep breath. It could be mindfully washing your hands or eating a raisin. For more examples check out my article What Mindfulness Is.

But all meditation is a way to practice mindfulness. Meditation is an intentional practice where you carve out a specific time and place to focus on your object of attention. Check out my article on the Benefits of Meditation to learn more! And grab a FREE downloadable guided meditation too!

I also highly recommend checking out zivaONLINE for amazing meditation courses. You can preview the meditation course for FREE for 3 days too!

Why Does Mindfulness work?

There are many reasons why mindfulness works. One reason is that it helps people become more aware of themselves and others.  Another reason is that it allows people to make better decisions. Also, it can help people feel less stressed and anxious.¹  It also may increase your immunity, improve relationships and increase compassion.² 

How Does Mindfulness work?

Mindfulness is a simple concept.  It involves being fully present with what is happening right now. This means focusing on the here and now without thinking about the past or future.  Mindful art allows you to focus on your art with nonjudgmental awareness.   

It also means not getting caught up in thoughts or feelings. Instead, you focus on your senses. You notice sounds, see colors, smell smells, taste food, feel textures, and touch things.

When Mindlessness Strikes

If you start to feel like you’re not being mindful, it’s ok.  Just simply notice when you are doing something mindlessly.  Why do you think you are acting mindlessly?  If you find yourself doing mindless tasks often, try taking a few moments each day to stop and notice.  Reflect on how you feel before starting a task or new mindful art project.  

Our brains like to rely on ingrained habits to free up precious energy.⁵  It’s normal to perform some tasks mindlessly.  But to reap the benefits of mindfulness you can choose to be more present in simple daily tasks.  Start small for big changes.  

How to Use Mindful Art 

There are several ways to incorporate mindful art into your life. You can start small and build up gradually.  Every new habit is more likely to stick if you choose something that feels easy to you.  In “Finding Your Own North Star” Martha Beck suggests when choosing a new behavior to scale back until it seems easy for you.  Your thought about the new behavior should feel like “I can do that easy!”

You can do mindful art daily or just once or twice a week. Whatever works for you is best.

Mindful Art Exercises   

One easy way to do mindful art daily is to simply doodle.  Then take a moment to pause and think about what you’re doodling without judgment.  Do you notice patterns?  Any repeating images or themes?  How does your pencil feel or sound as it glides on your paper?  

Another easy practice is coloring.  Find a coloring book (or print off a coloring page online) and a box of crayons.  Blick Art has some wonderful adult coloring books like this Cute Kawaii Coloring book with adorable little images that I just love! They also have every art supply you could possibly ever need! When you start to color notice how the crayon feels in your hand.  Which colors attract you?  How do they look different on the paper versus in the box?  What does the paper feel like? 

For more mindful art exercises check out my posts on Art for Anxiety and Therapeutic Art: 3 simple projects!  Also, grab a FREE guide to one of my mindful art exercises!   

An all-in-one art box that I love is Master Peace Box. It has everything you need to practice Mindful Art delivered right to your door!

Why Practice Mindful Art?

Mindful art is an effective way to tap into our emotions.  Art is deeply connected to emotion.  Do you remember how it felt to show someone a piece of your artwork as a child?  Their response could either lift you up or totally crush your spirit.  Why is that? 

As humans, we crave acceptance as a survival mechanism.³  We connect art with a representation of our inner selves.  It reflects your deepest desires and likes.  You choose the images and colors to put down on paper.  And until someone makes a judgment of your work, you are in awe of what you’ve created.

We may begin to criticize ourselves as we gain life experiences.  With outside input on what we’re good at or not good at, we start to place judgment on what we create.  But none so acutely as when we practice art.  

Have you ever thought “I can’t even draw a stick figure” before even trying to draw one?  When you’ve actually had the confidence to draw or paint did you think “This looks terrible.  Who would want to hang this on their walls?”  

Mindful art is the practice of noticing those thoughts that come up without judgment.  Then you can use those observations as opportunities to practice self-compassion.  Your thoughts create your emotions.  Your emotions then determine your actions which create your reality.  

As you can begin to notice your thoughts and emotions you will see patterns.  These are simply opportunities where you can choose to flip the script.  If your thought is “I’m terrible at art.  Why do I even bother?” 

You can flip the script to:

“I’m learning how to notice my thoughts and that is healthy for me.” 

“This is my mindfulness practice.”  

Another approach might be to simply state observations about your art.

For example:

 “The colors I chose are bright and colorful.”

 “I see that I draw lots of swirls and triangles.”

What is the Purpose of Art?

Art fulfills many roles for humans.  It is a form of deep emotional expression.⁴  It can be a fun and relaxing form of creation.  Art has also been a way to record history before photographs.  It also sometimes serves as decoration in our homes or offices. 

This practice of using art to decorate often clouds the process of creation.  You may stop yourself from putting something down on the canvas for fear of rejection.  You may tell yourself that it’s not pretty or wouldn’t look nice in your home. It may be helpful to tell yourself that you will destroy your art after it’s complete.  This way you don’t edit yourself as you create. 

Mindful art is about the process of creation and self-discovery, not the final product. It is a way to practice mindfulness that helps to cultivate self-compassion and unlock your creativity.

Let’s Connect!

If you’d like support creating a mindful art practice, then book a session with me here! Or check out my digital course, Becoming Blissful with Mindful Art, for a complete system created to help you have more mindful moments!

    

References:

1. https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/five_ways_mindfulness_meditation_is_good_for_your_health
2. https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/the_state_of_mindfulness_science
3. https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-the-need-to-belong-2795393#:~:text=The%20need%20to%20belong%2C%20also,part%20of%20a%20religious%20group
4. https://www.eden-gallery.com/news/what-is-the-purpose-of-art#:~:text=It%20can%20be%20used%20to,and%20political%20or%20social%20commentary
5. https://news.mit.edu/2012/understanding-how-brains-control-our-habits-1029#:~:text=Habits%20are%20behaviors%20wired%20so,what%20to%20make%20for%20dinner

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