April 27, 2020, by Issy

Why I’m spending my time doing art

I’ve always quite enjoyed doing art. I guess I’ve grown up with it – my grandmother and uncle are both artists and taught me a lot of what I know. As I’ve grown older though, I’ve found I have less and less time to do art myself, because there is so much else going on – my degree for a start!

However, in the current situation, I’ve found my mental health seriously deteriorating – lack of routine and uncertainty are two major triggers for my anxiety, leading to consequent low mood… so the current situation of exactly that – lack of routine and uncertainty – is not ideal to say the least. During a CBT session we were talking about things that help me relax, and I instantly thought of my love for art. I don’t know if it’s the therapeuticness (is that a word?!) of it, or the sense of achievement with a finished piece, but it really helps me feel so much more… me. So, I have tried to make a ‘lockdown routine’ of sorts to try and cope with the lack of structure within my days, and every evening I try to do at least half an hour of artwork of some form.

I have found that completed pieces also make pretty good presents for friends and birthdays, drawing their pets, or their favourite things. Particularly useful when shops are closed so presents are hard to buy..!

Its also really helping to ignite my creative side – I’ve noticed that I’m appreciating nature more as I look for things I can draw. This further helps to improve my mental health, as it’s making me feel much less trapped within the house – I can look outside and appreciate the world for what it is – pretty beautiful, underneath all that is going on.

 

 

 

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