Circle Sessions on Mental Health Part 2: Combining Painting & Journaling
If you are familiar with the mental health community, you may have heard that journaling is a sure-fire coping skill---especially if you’re an overthinker/ruminating thoughts kind of goddess such as me. When I journal or even just make lists of things I am thinking, there is a calm that comes over me afterwards. It’s a way of taking command of the intangible flight of thoughts that constantly swirl around chronically. Then, creatively catapulting them onto a surface where those thoughts can live replaced by peace.
Sometimes, I crumple up or tear out my journal pages then throw them in the trash as if to say, “Not today Satan” to the formidable foe that is a biproduct of my brain protecting itself through the release of cortisol. Through a neurobiological lens, cortisol (also known as the “stress hormone”), is released shortly after a traumatic event which in turn allows our fight/flight/freeze/fawn functions to perform optimally. If someone experiences chronic trauma or a traumatic event, sometimes the brain remains in a constant loop of releasing this hormone then initiating the acute stress response. For me, through utilizing my therapist and trying a plethora of coping skills, I discovered what works for my unique mental health symptoms: combining journaling with my paintings.
Specifically, the paintings I do as a coping skill for me to ground myself back in the present: circles. I see this series as a symbol of what art can do and the peace it can create with those who experience mental health symptoms. I see this series as a written and visual journey of utilizing art to work through past traumas that have led to my life’s mission of bringing creative therapies to the military community.
Pictured here is my first ever attempt at combining artistic skills with grounding techniques: writing and painting while experiencing anxiety, PTSD triggers, and somatic processing (body responses; for me body sweats/shakes/disassociation). This process I have discovered is a little piece of the creative therapy program that I continue to evolve and form. I would encourage you to try this out! Remember: it doesn’t have to be perfect or look pleasing at all—in fact, if it looks like a mess CONGRATULATIONS! You have successfully taken that mess out of your head to its new home on the canvas. I would encourage you to pause and be mindful of your headspace. Do you feel peace? Do you feel more worked up? Are you exhausted? Are you calm?
Tuning into yourself when you try a coping skill is what I believe the most important part of the journey to successfully living with mental health symptoms. This is because we all have different brain make ups, life experiences, tastes, and preferences all of which are directly correlated with what coping skill works for you. If something doesn’t work for you, try something different. Just like finding your passions, it is a jagged journey of discovering how to cope.
Did you find this helpful? Do you have any questions? What are some coping skills you have discovered that work for you? Let’s begin a conversation and help each other discover even more possibilities! Comment below!
