Making Art from the Heart

Expressive, transformational art journaling is art from the heart, not the head. It’s deep, moving, and fulfilling. It helps release something, move energy, and express emotion. It could also be playful, like the heart of a curious child, which is also good heart medicine.

When I start with my ruminating monkey mind, I am usually “shoulding” on myself. I’ll think that there is a “right” way that I should be making something–that I need to use a certain amount of dark and light, that I need to draw something to scale, or that I need to communicate something perfectly clearly. Of course, there is a market for artwork in perfect proportion, with a beautiful ten-step value scale from light to dark, and more… but that’s not the artwork that I am inviting you to create. I am inviting you to get OUT of your monkey mind, shoulding, and perfectionism–to go with the flow, beyond thought… to play, experiment, and express.

I believe that we are all artists. Many children start out naturally creative, and we encourage children’s creativity and play. As we age, we are more schooled and trained in our systems of education, thought, and behaving. 

When I was training as an artist and art educator, I learned more about the left and right brain hemispheres, and how the American school system (and other systems) largely focuses on the left brain. Much of our society has trained us from a left-brained approach of logic, analytics, and standardized testing where there is always a “right” answer. The right brain focuses more on abstract thought, creativity, and play–this is where the magic happens! Of course, a balance between the two hemispheres can be helpful. However, I believe that because the right brain has been somewhat neglected, it’s important to give it some more attention and help us tap into our inner child’s curiosity, wonder, and play. 

Join me in my Flourishing Pathways to reclaim your creative spark!