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Finding Flow CultivatingMindfulnessThroughArtMaking
SusanAinlayAnand,ATR-BC,ATCS,LPAT,LMFTUniversityofMississippiMedicalCenter
Perhapsthebiggesttragedyofourlivesisthatfreedomispossible,yetwecanpassouryearstrappedinthesameoldpatterns…Wemaywant
toloveotherpeoplewithoutholdingback,tofeelauthentic,tobreatheinthebeautyaroundus,todanceandsing.Yeteachdaywe
listentoinnervoicesthatkeepourlifesmall.
-TaraBrach
To begin…
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Objectives for Workshop
• Describethreewaysartmakingsupportsthedevelopmentofmindfulness.
• Listthreebehaviorsthatcontributetomindfulartmaking.
• Describehowartmaking
canbeapartofpersonalandclinicalpracticetocultivatemindfulnessandhelptoreducestress.
What is Mindfulness?
• TraditionalBuddhistpsychologyrelatesmindfulnesstoasenseofcuriosity,openness,compassion,andnon-judgmentalattitudetoanythingonemayexperienceinthepresentmoment.
• Traditionally,mindfulnesswascultivatedthroughtypesofmeditationsuchasvipassana(insightmeditation)andyoga.Thesepracticesincreasemindfulnessthroughafocusonbodilysensations,suchasbreathandmovement,observationofinternalstates,suchasemotionsandthoughts,andawarenessofone’ssurroundings.
Sati
TheconceptformindfulnessfirstappearedinancientBuddhistwritings.ThePaliwordformindfulnessis“sati,”whichmeanshavingattention,awareness,andremembering.Saticanalsobeunderstoodasnon-judgmentalawarenessofthepresentmoment,concentration,anddevelopmentofthemind.
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Insum,mindfulnessencouragesonetohaveanattentive,welcoming,andcuriousorientationtothepresentmoment,unyokedfromexpectationsorcriticism.
Wecancultivatemindfulnessbyfocusingourawarenessonourpresentexperiencenomatterwhatwearedoing.Thisadditionallymeansthatonecoulduseengagementwiththevisualartsasamethodofincreasingmindfulness.
Traditionally,arthasbeenconsideredafundamentalpartofsocietyandculture.
PrehistoricCavePainting–Lascaux,France
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Communication with Others
TheoldestdrawingrecentlydiscoveredinSouthAfrica–73,000yearsold!
Art as Healing
Formanyculturesthroughouttheages,arthasbeensynonymouswithhealingandhasheldakeyroleinmanyancientandreligioushealingrituals.
BirthRitual-India
To Make Art is a Universal Need
Whencreatingartandreflectingonwhatismade,peoplecanbetterunderstandthemselvesandothers;enhancetheircognitiveabilities;copewithsymptoms,stress,andtrauma;andenjoythelifeaffirmingpleasuresofmakingart.TheAmericanArtTherapyAssociation
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Manymindfulnesspractices,suchasartmaking,actuallyincreaseourengagementwiththeworldaroundus.
Ways Art Making Increases Mindfulness
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Focusing on the Present Moment “Whenwearepracticingthemindfulnessofdrawing,itisthemovementofthepenacrossthepage,thecoordinationofeyeandhand,andtheobjectweare
drawingthatbecomeourmindfulfocus.”-Greenhalgh,2015
Cultivating Attentional and Observational Gains
Throughtheactofcreatingart,theartistgainsself-knowledgeaswellasagreaterunderstandingofthe
worldtheylivein.
“IappreciatethelittlethingsinlifebecauseIcanpaymoreattentiontothedetails.”
Engagement with the Senses
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Behaviors & Attitudes for Mindful Art Making
• Settleintoaquietspacewithlimiteddistractions• Enterintoartmakingwithacuriousandopenmind• Trytobenonjudgmentalinyourapproachandasyouviewyourartwork
• Openyourawarenesstoyoursensesasyourcreate
Experiential
Bothmindfulnessandartmakinghavebeenshowntodecreasenegativeaffect,anxiety,stress,anddepressionleadingtodecreasedruminationormindwanderingtounpleasant,negativeemotions…
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Whenoneisfullyabsorbedincreating,they
experiencewhatarttherapistscall“flow,”a
nearmeditativestatethatproducesmanyofthe
samebenefitsastraditionalmeditation.
Flow • Flowcanbedescribedas
anoptimalexperienceinwhichanindividualisfullyengagedwithinanactivity.
• Flowinvolvesbeingfullyconsumedwiththepresentmomentandwiththetaskathand.
• Flowisatotalimmersionintoanactivitythatresultsinthe“mergingofactionandawareness,centeringofattention,andthelossofself-consciousness”aswellasastrongfeelingofcontrol.
Flowisalsoapositivelybalancedexperiencethattendstobringfeelingsofenjoymentandhappiness.
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Art: The New Mindfulness Wave
• InastudypublishedinArtTherapylastyear,researchersfoundthatlevelsofcortisoldecreasedin75%ofparticipantswhohadengagedinartisticproduction.
• AUKstudyfoundthattheart
makingpromotedspeedyrecoveryafterillness,helpedalleviateanxiety,depression,andstress,andultimatelyreducedspendingonhealthandsocialservices.
Guided Meditation and Art Making
Applications to Personal and Clinical Practice
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ArtTherapistEdithKramer1916-2014
Art is about “being a gift to the world.”
What is art for?
Resources • www.arttherapy.org(AmericanArtTherapyAssociation)• https://www.mindful.org/meditation/mindfulness-getting-
started/• MindfulnessandtheArtsTherapies,Rappaport,(2014)• Flow:ThePsychologyofOptimalExperience,Csikszentmihalyl
(1990)• SusanAinlayAnand– [email protected]
