How to Practice Art as a Form of Self Care

Ahh, Saturday mornings. The neighborhood and house are quiet. The view is always a different color. Usually starts with a blue gray sky, and then changes to yellow and pink reflections on the house windows with the sunrise. 

I make myself tea, feed the cat, blend myself up a smoothie, and pour some water for my brushes. That completes the ritual. Once the water is in the ACE Hardware plastic paint mixing thing (not large enough to be a bucket, too large to be a cup), I am definitely going to paint. 

I scroll through Pinterest to see what animals pop up, and then land on one I want to try. I sketch it out as a drawing first, then start mixing my paint colors. Before I know it, I am painting fur or feathers or scales, enjoying recreating the textures I see. 

Before I know it I've spent three hours painting, and it's time to go for a run or hike. That evening I might come back to it or save it for later in the week. If I finished one painting, I've likely started another. 

This is really a form of self-care for me. In this video I talk more about that.