December seems to be the month to get married, according to my friends that is.
A very close childhood friend is getting married in less than a month and to celebrate her upcoming nuptials, we threw her a kitchen tea, spoiling her with the fun, quirky accessories you would never buy yourself. Things like glass labels, funky tea towels, heart-shaped frying pans … all the things that make a young couple’s home.
I put my hand up to make a couple of signs to make the bride-to-be feel special. One said ’27 days to go’ (minor freak out anyone?) and one that was strung above the kitchen saying ‘From Miss to Mrs’.
For a minute, I thought about buying the signs off Etsy. And then I remembered that I’d actually studied art until my late high school years. Why buy when you can create?
So off I went to the arts and crafts store.
As I was painting away in my pseudo-studio, I realised how therapeutic the activity really was. A lot of issues have been thrown my way over the past year and despite the thousands of thoughts running through my mind, at that present moment, everything seemed to melt away and all I could think about were the brush strokes and making sure the letters were perfect.
It actually made me consider taking up painting as a hobby. When people are stressed, some turn to exercise (I wish! I’d be stick thin by now), some turn to eating, some turn to friends … and some turn to art.
Has a song or piece of music made you feel happy or sad when you hear it? How about when you stare at a photograph or artwork and something in you changes, just that little bit?
Using art as therapy shouldn’t be too surprising considering the reaction many people feel when faced with something beautiful. In fact, many of history’s great works were created under stress or depression – think Picasso’s Blue Period or any Van Gogh for that matter.
Want a challenge? Next time you’re feeling stressed or down, pick up a paintbrush and throw your feelings on the canvas. You may even end up with a fantastic work of art.
jessica abelsohn 