If You Don’t Like to Meditate, Try Art

Don’t tell me to meditate. Seriously, I can’t do it. Meditation requires me not to think and it’s not for me.

With all respect to anyone who loves their pillow mediation time, I propose artitation. No, it’s not a word. As I mentioned, I like to think. I also enjoy making up words.

What is artitation? Art-itation is my new way of dissolving stress and finding inner calm. It’s meditation in a glitter marker, paintbrush and sketch book.

It’s my form of meditation and I’m not giving it up. I have spent the past four months on a journey into the world of art and I love the results.

Want to relax? Focus your mind? Forget the world for a few minutes? I suggest you try art.

I know it sounds terrifying. You can’t draw. Neither can I, until now. Did you know there are great tutorial books out there to teach you how to draw? I’ll show you a few and my sketches. But first, let me tell you how it all began.

Coloring is not just for kids anymore. You can find adult coloring books anywhere. According to research, coloring for adults puts the brain in a state of meditation. It calms a restless mind and promotes mindfulness.

It looks simple but you’re becoming interested in art without the intimidation of drawing. Trust me, the fun is buying the supplies. Crayons, markers, colored pencils and artist mixed media gel sticks all provide lots of color but different applications.

I’ve always been drawn to journals. I like to collect them because of their artistry. The covers are amazing. When I purchased my first box of oil pastels, I was inspired to create as an artist. This is a gutsy process, I know. However, it’s fun when you realize you’re not a professional artist stressing over an art exhibit.

I decided to use one of my blank journals because I didn’t have anything to draw on. The pages are lined but I didn’t care. That’s the fun of art, you can literally draw on anything. Why not?

Oil pants are fun because you can take a soft tissue and run it across your work when finished. This smooths out the color.

I’m not suggesting an art career. I’m showing you the progress of my life through art to inspire you. In real life, I design jewelry that might impress you. However, I found it exciting to create and meditate in a whole new medium of art.

I found coloring whether inside the lines or creating outside of them on my own a way to express emotion. I took the gel pen or marker and colored away the little bumps in life I couldn’t take away. I wasn’t overthinking. My mind was relaxing and the benefits made me want to continue.

After coloring and my initial attempts at oil pastel art, I added diamond painting to my collection. You can find a huge assortment of diamond painting on Amazon. They’re inexpensive and absolute fun. Your complete diamond painting looks like a work of art.

Diamond painting kits provide you with colored flat back faceted beads, a pen and gel glue to fill in each space of the coordinating color on a slight sticky canvas. You get everything provided in the kit. It’s an amazing art form. It takes a lot of time but that’s my point. These art endeavors provide a way for you to unwind after a long day. It’s also the perfect way to bond with family members.

The diamond painting pictures are created by a professional artist, so the end result makes your work look very professional. I wish I had a photo of my first completed project. It was an amazing landscape featuring the moon. It was dazzling and the beads sparkled beautifully. I highly recommend this hobby as a way to calm your mind and create something unique. It’s addictive and you truly will put it up on your wall.

I’m including a picture of my current project. This is more fun and it’s got glow in the dark beads. I’ve completed some of the black portion on the bottom.

As you can see, if your not an artist there are plenty of interesting products to help you learn.

After a few months, I decided to challenge myself to actually become an artist. I took the plunge. Could I draw? I didn’t know. I wanted to try. It’s kind of like a gym membership. You buy the membership and hope you show up. I invested in a sketch book and a nice kit of pencils and charcoal pencils. It included a sharpener and eraser. I highly recommend a retractable eraser pen.

I’ve added to my collection but I started with one book. It’s called “You Can Draw in 30 Days” by Mark Kistler. I’m almost to lesson ten and I’m astonished. I can draw. I’ve learned how to draw spheres, cubes, boxes, roses, cylinders, houses and much more. I loved each lesson because it was step by step and challenged me to find my own form of expression upon learning the fundamentals.

My mind became very focused learning to sketch. I suggest sharpening your pencil if you’d like to sharpen your mind. Can I draw? I think so. Take a look and then grab a sketchbook.

I can’t wait to see how I progress. I haven’t even gotten half way through the book. I’m looking forward to drawing the human eye and hand. I got so obsessed with sketching, I purchased books on how to draw cool stuff, different flowers and plants and everyday objects and landscapes.

Learning how to draw is worth your small investment and time. I got lost in the world of sketching and hours passed by without a care in the world. I was simply absorbed in drawing.

My new art adventure agenda also includes a lovely DIY acrylic painting. I found this beautiful sailboat kit painting on Amazon and it was a true game changer. I got everything I needed in the kit. Paintbrushes, paint, and the paint by number canvas on a wooden frame ready to put on my wall.

I can paint. My picture shows about four hours I’ve invested in this painting and it’s been worth every minute. I love sketching but painting is something I’m drawn to. Your mind will calm and relax with each stroke of paint. It’s easy to stay in the lines and watching the painting develop is rewarding.

Will I ever paint an original? I hope so. Painting and drawing aren’t simply a form of relaxation for me. They’re a developing creative spirit that resides within me and I look forward to learning more.

I hope I’ve encouraged you to try art. It’s a lost art. I believe everyone is artistically inclined. I believe anyone can draw because I’m living proof.

Art is a lovely way to escape from the world and create your own unique world. You may find your hidden talent. Artistry adds to your skill set in life whether personal or professional.

If you can’t meditate and you’re looking for a relaxing way to let go of stress and racing thoughts, artitate is the way.