I want to talk to you about a cure for stress and depression. But not about pills or potions. I offer you art therapy. This method helps with any psychological complications, anxiety, depression.
I saw how the faces of the mothers of the fallen ATO heroes changed after they splashed their feelings on paper… Art therapy works. I know that for sure!
The first and main commandment of art therapy is to forget shyness forever, to forget that you are not an artist. We have a task to throw out, to remove all the accumulated stress to improve our health.
You do not need a ruler, compass or other accessories. You need any paint, felt-tip pen or ordinary pencil. Do not look for the perfect color. Do not hesitate and do not try to create the perfect picture. Let it be a work of your soul. The moment we ask ourselves what color is best for the next detail, we build an obstacle.
Draw an “enemy” or your fear in the form of a fairy-tale animal. So scarier! If you have a conflict with the boss, draw him as a dragon, and then “put” him in a cage with huge locks. Everything, the conflict is over!
If you are worried before an important conversation, draw your future interlocutor with funny bows or balloons, and the fear will recede.
If you are stifled by aggression or other negative emotions, drawing will only irritate you. Take clay, plasticine, dough and sculpt your problem. “Talk” to her, telling her everything that has boiled, transform her (you can be very rude) into what you want. And now destroy them, crumpling into an ordinary insignificant pile.
And experts advise:
• When tired, draw flowers.
• Sadness has come – paint the whole space of the paper with different bright colors.
• You will drive away the anxious mood by making a doll-motanka.
• If you can’t part with a person’s thoughts or feelings, make a paper airplane, write the problem on it, and drop it out the window.
And who knows, maybe you will discover a talent that will inspire you for the next time.
When reassurance comes, find something funny in the picture or sculpted figure. It is good for the brain. Laughter will also help cope with stress.
And I invite you to the Dnepropetrovsk Art Museum. We will find something to entertain you.
Tetyana Shaparenko, director of the Dnipropetrovsk Art Museum