🎨 ART CLUB | REPLAY | Art as Healer
'Painting Patterns in a Handmade Sketchbook'
New to Art Club - Themed Self Enquiry Topics
Each month, Art Club now consists of a theme to contemplate and discuss (optional) each session.
This theme can be a thread that is woven throughout the discussions that naturally occur (conversations about our art practices and processes, art materials and inspirations etc.).
I will post a list of questions related to theme on the blog post that has the Luma / Zoom link each month, so you have time to consider what you may wish to share.
Please feel free to add questions / thoughts / related links etc. in the comments below.
Our topic for this month is: ‘Art as Healer’
Many years ago some friends and I went to the Butterfly Farm near Batchelor, south of Darwin for my birthday weekend. It was the wet season, hot, humid and need to swim weather.
Heavy rain brought floods to the river and my sensible friend suggested we cancel our swimming plans.
This Piscean was not a happy camper, but also, didn’t want to hurt my friends feelings by being cranky.
I picked up a pencil, held a dragon fly wing between thumb and index finger and sat down to draw.
By the time my drawing was finished, my anger had disappeared. I was calm, happy and super inspired.
For the first time in my life - I truly realised I could draw!
Metamorphic moment.
Not only this, but the act of making art transformed my anger into peace and joy.
Art heals.
And so this journey began.
Self Enquiry Questions to contemplate while we create:
What are some of the ways in which making Art has helped heal you?
How do you use art to heal?
What sorts of things do you notice when you are being creative?
How has art helped relieve emotional stress?
How is Art your medicine?
In what ways is Art your safe place?
How does creativity nurture you?
Download the self enquiry booklet:
Download and print (or use an ipad or laptop to write on) before Art Club.
Write or sketch notes on what you are comfortable sharing with the group as we co-create together.
Relevant links, articles & interesting listening:
The Creative Prescription ‘Unlock the wellbeing benefits of everyday creativity’.
The Healing Power of Art - Moma magazine article that has links to additional resources.
How Art can Heal - I particularly liked the idea that art ‘stimulates the hippocampus, expands the number of connections in one’s brain, and even helps expand one’s vocabulary’
Art as Healing vs Art as Therapy - I loved this explanation.
Not Sorry Art Podcast (All about Art Therapy with Pierra brown)
The Beauty of being an Art Therapist (Mindful Art Studio & Sara Roizen)
What is Art Club?
Art Club is a Zoom Art Play Date that is FREE for all subscribers to the Studio Diaries.
Art Club is different to Open Studio, in that there is not always a provided reference image to work from.
Art Club is where we meet in the virtual studio of Zoom and work alongside each other, doing our own creative thing. Its a bit like sharing a studio space at Art School, or in a warehouse down town.
We will still have an optional sharing session at the end, because there is something very affirming and positive when we share our work with others (and it is super inspiring to see what everyone else is creating).
What can you do at Art Club?
You can work on any creative project you feel like working on. Some ideas include:
Sketch from one of your own reference images
Paint / Draw in Procreate
Work on a painting
Fill a page in your sketchbook
Art Journal - Play
Collage - Colour palettes
Work on a 100 Day Project
Do one of the Art Prompts in Shore Thing
Make a self care Zine
Prepare pre - painted pages
Swatch colours
Some of the benefits of Art Club include:
Enjoying the company of other like minded creatives
Motivation to keep going with your project
Asking questions about materials, processes, techniques, studio practice etc.
Dedicated time set aside for your creativity
Please note; because this is a FREE event, it will be recorded and posted publicly on both my You Tube Channel and here on Substack
Watch the REPLAY:
Support the Studio:
If you would like to support Open Studio with a one off donation, you can do so HERE or @ko-fi.com/samashleyart
If you share your work on social media, please use the hashtag #samashleyartclub and tag @samashleyart on Instagram
Until next time,
‘Paint your peace & make magic’ my dear friend,
Other places we can connect:
Disclaimer
By participating in an Art Play Date (Art Club | Open Studio), you are agreeing to be recorded and to let me use any content created (i.e. Zoom Recording) to advertise on various social media channels (such as my Instagram, You tube, Pinterest & Facebook etc.).
Looking forward to hanging out with the Art Club! 🤗💖✨
I'm currently on vacations, but I will catch up the replay when I got home and very curious about the booklet you created Sam 💖 hope you are feeling better 😘