Art for Healing

I posted the comment about art for healing a long time ago. More importantly, I lived it. When my husband's health was failing and I was his caregiving, I started doodling to relieve stress. Before I began my caregiving tasks, I doodled for 15-20 minutes. This relaxed me and prepared me for the day. When I was quarantined for testing positive for Covid (I never developed any symptoms) I continued to doodle. This led to a book about doodling to express grief. After my husband died I continued to doodle. I added watercolor to the doodles and was thrilled with the results. I turned my husband's bedroom, really a hospital room and place of sadness, into my art studio. Every wall is lined with framed doodle art. Twenty-three of my pictures are currently on exhibit. I 've given grief doodle art talks to the public health, my retirement community, and on Zoom for The Compassionate Friends, an organization for those who have suffered the loss of a child. In August I'm giving two workshops at The Compassionate Friends National Conference, "Grief Doodling: A Snapshot of Your Grief Journey" and "Affirmation Writing: A Forward Step on the Healing Path." Life is filled with surprises and one of the greatest surprises of my life is becoming a doodle artist. I am blessed.

Thanks for your comment Sue. Ordinary doodling comes from the subconscious. Art doodling (Zen tangles, mandalas, and others) is planned. When I started to do art doodling I used a black felt-tip pen and "graduated" to colored pens. I realized that adding watercolor to my doodles was easier. First, I do a quick sketch. The sketch is usually messy because, after all, I'm creating doodle art. Next I add watercolor and use unusual, bright combinations, such as yellow sky. After the watercolor is dry, I add doodle details with a black felt-tip pen. Mayo Clinic Hospice is using examples from my art doodling book and I also wrote some new prompts. Happy doodling!

Thank you for the lovely example of how art can be therapeutic.
I had not thought about the calming effect of doodling - even though I used it to "get through" school, where I never quite fit. I have spent many hours waiting with my husband this winter, with more in the future, for diagnostic appointments. I believe I will add my small sketchbook to my bag. Then I can watercolor my doodles in the evenings.
Sue

@harriethodgson1 I am struck by the significance of turning the room that was filled with sadness into an art studio. What a brilliant way to honor your husband. When I was young, my first husband left me, and I used art to reinvent myself. That is when I left my lab job at a university and went to art school to see if I could develop my artistic abilities. It was hard because I didn't know how much I didn't know about painting and drawing, and it was a good foundation. As I got better, so did my confidence. The beauty of creativity is that you don't have to create masterpieces, and taking that pressure of expectation away gives you the freedom to just express yourself and find yourself again.

As I read all of these comments, I can now appreciate that each of us deals with grief differently! This is a great reminder not not judge others in their journeys.
I found many ways that helped me along the grief path from books, this fantastic group, long talks with friends, church, and my Dementia support group that I reconnected with. This is a time of personal growth and although I am lonely at times, I have many resources!
Taking time to care and be alone, or with family and friends, can be a big hug to yourself.
Thank you all for being a part of my journey♥️

@harriethodgson1 How exciting! Art therapy (my own) is what helps me. @gailb is taking an oil painting class and has not painted in years. There are places offering art instruction and learning tutorials online that are free. If nothing else they are fun to watch. One does not need a lot of supplies as a box of crayons is a start. Try YouTubing thus. Thank you for sharing about this.