Art as therapy: spontaneous drawing
Art can be healing, and can be used as a therapeutic tool - but when you’re just getting started (or when you’ve been doing the same old thing for a while) - how do you know what to draw?
This is the first in a series of posts offering some suggestions. We’ll begin with spontaneous drawing. These suggestions are written as if you’re going to draw in an art journal, but you can give these a go on a piece of loose paper, on a wall… whatever you have to hand.
But first, here are some ground rules.
The first rule is there are no rules.
The second rule: it doesn’t have to be pretty! The magic is in the process of doing, not so much in the end result. Often, people find that while their journal might not be ‘pretty’, as they fill the pages it starts to feel deeply meaningful.
The third rule: when turning to your art journal, you’re invited to leave as much judgement as possible at the door, and follow what feels interesting, easy, and fun.
Now, on to spontaneous drawing.
Spontaneous drawing is a good way to start a new journal that maybe feels too new and the pages feel too white and there’s that sense of pressure to make something pretty or to get it right. Because we begin with our eyes closed, we’re taking away some of that pressure – we can’t see what we’re doing, so we have no control over what it looks like!
Spontaneous drawing can also be really good for when you’re feeling stuck in life and not sure where to start or what to do next, as a way to get out of your head, loosen things up, and maybe find a new perspective. Encouragement and permission to let this be playful and silly!
Here’s how:
Choose a light colour to begin
With your eyes closed, feel the border of the page (tape it to the table so it doesn’t move around if you like!)
Keeping your eyes closed, take a line for a walk around the page. No wrong way to do this – go with whatever feels good!
When you feel done with your line, open your eyes. Take some time to look at your line – maybe turning your journal around for some different perspectives (no rules, remember! It doesn’t matter which way is up in this drawing).
Look for animals, alien creatures, faces and objects and trace around them with a darker colour, adding details and filling them in.
Take a moment at the end to admire your handiwork!