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7 Steps to Art Happiness

10/28/2013

10 Comments

 
Thank you for signing up for our newsletter. Please visit our Monday, Wednesday and Friday blogs for tons of free information. Meanwhile here are my 7 steps for creative happiness :)

I believe art is a great healer, mediator, teacher, and self-care strategy on so many levels. Living in urban areas, I’ve seen and participated in revitalizing neighborhoods with art (unfortunately, sometimes with gentrification consequences). I’ve also seen how art revitalizes individual’s hearts and souls and in some cases led to wonderful livelihoods. So you can see I’m a big fan of art. These are my 7 steps for art happiness:

  1. Do a small line drawing first thing and without judgment when you wake up and see where it takes you (write about it afterwards if you like). Try just starting with that line and don’t lift your pen till it’s finished.
  2. Make a balancing radiating mandala with everything balanced and repeated on each side so that there is no one right side (they’re all the same). These are very calming and a form of meditation to both make and look at.
  3. Make your own affirmation or inspiration cards on 5”x8” card stock or matt board with magazine collage, meaningful words or quotes, and glitter glue. Make one every week so that at the end of the year you have a deck of cards to draw from and inspire you each day with exactly what you need to hear.
  4. Create your own guardian angel in whatever medium you like and when you’re tired or having a hard time, imagine her coming down and embracing and comforting you in her wings.
  5. If you’re angry, either make yourself a “rage and anger” box where you can write or draw about whatever is upsetting you and put it in the box rather than acting upon it; or, make big angry black ink drawings to get that anger out and away from you. Burn these or store them in your rage and anger box. You can easily make these out of old wooden boxes from the thrift store or cigar boxes from the smoke shop.
  6. Make yourself a wish box, and a gratitude box, and every day make a list or drawing for each of these
  7. Do each of these things and then come up with some more.
 
If you do them with an open heart and a self-loving uncritical mind (these are process pieces for yourself), I can almost guarantee that you will experience art happiness : )
10 Comments
Jacquie Faber link
1/7/2014 02:36:04 am

Please send me your news letter. I love it! I think I would like to take classes when you offer them.
Thanks so much!
Jacquie

Reply
Sue Frye link
7/24/2014 01:56:57 am

Love these SUPER motivational ideas! Keep them coming!!!

Reply
Sion
6/3/2015 06:30:54 pm

Thanks a million stars!!! Just what my ^_^ heart needed to remember for a joyful day start. (^_-)

Reply
Theresa Nielsen
8/20/2015 01:08:45 am

I love these ideas. They are great and I will use them..

Reply
olivia gibbs link
8/15/2016 08:09:45 pm

These are very inspiring and beautiful things to do.Thank you so much for sharing them. I intend to do each one of them. Thank you, thank you, thank you

Reply
Donna
1/1/2017 11:55:56 am

Beginning this adventure with new refreshing ideas. I love the encouragement that opens doors of imagination.

Reply
Barbara Kupetz
1/19/2017 07:08:04 am

These are great, Mira. Thank you!

Reply
Christy Monson link
2/16/2017 07:49:20 am

Thanks, Mira

Reply
Shannon Stocker link
7/19/2017 10:34:27 am

There is so much to love in these suggestions. The guardian angel one was my favorite, and is something I do with my children. Thank you for posting!

Reply
Sheila Lewis link
12/5/2020 06:00:44 pm

Hi Dr. Mira and CBA,
Just finished day one of my first Palooza, and I am so inspired by all that you and CBA does. I came across this first post, all to expand creativity (which expands happiness).
I will add these to my list, and they also affirm what I already do. (I teach early morning meditation and 4x a week do need to come up with quick ways to inspire and elicit joy/creativity). Picture books and their art seen today added heaps of joy to my plate. Thanks.

Reply



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  • Home
  • WRITING
    • Craft & Business of Writing Childrens Picture Books
  • Picture Book Palooza
    • Contributor Bios
  • ILLUSTRATION
    • Craft & Business of Illustrating Children's Books
  • TECH
  • About Us
    • Why Us?
    • Meet the Faculty, Lives & GT Judges
    • Testimonials
    • Books by Students
    • Our Bookshop
    • As Seen In
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact Us
  • Blogfish
  • Teachable Student Course Portal
  • Community
    • Our Bookshop
    • Come Play With Us!
    • Resources
    • Course Scholarships >
      • Yuyi Morales Picture Book Scholarship
      • Andrea Davis Pinkney MG CB Mastery Scholarship
      • Rafael Lopez Illustrating Childrens Books Scholarships