The Practice of Creativity
Whether it's dancing, painting, woodworking, sewing or sculpting teeny cupcakes out of bright purple clay, making art is good for your mind and body.
The act of creation can reduce stress and anxiety and improve your mood, says Girija Kaimal, a professor at Drexel University and a leading researcher in art therapy. And flexing our creative side can give us a stronger sense of agency — the ability to solve problems by imagining possible solutions.
Making art can also feel pretty awesome, she says. Engaging in any act of visual expression activates the reward pathway in your brain, "which is perceived as a pleasurable experience."
Read the rest of the article at https://www.npr.org/2019/12/30/792439555/making-art-is-good-for-your-health-heres-how-to-start-a-habit
Contemplative Art
Art-making is a contemplative practice that affects us internally, through our thoughts and emotions, as well as externally, through the creation of objects and images that can serve as sources of inspiration and healing. Contemplative art may be loosely divided into two (non-exclusive) categories:
Process Emphasis: the process of making artwork is what is paramount; the work that results from the practice is not important. One might consider these contemplative practices to be simply “exercises;” they can be especially freeing for those who feel they lack adequate artistic talent or skill, since the point of the practice is not to make “good” art, but simply to observe the mind while engaging in the creative process.
Product Emphasis: the practitioner intends to create a specific type of object–which may be directly related to other contemplative practices. For example, painting a religious icon, weaving a prayer shawl, stringing a rosary, or hand-binding a journal may be done with mindful intention. The practice has a desired result: to produce a particular image or object.
In both cases, despite the emphasis on process or product, the intention of the practitioner is the same: to engage in the creative process with contemplative awareness.
Source: http://www.contemplativemind.org/practices/tree/contemplativeart
Creating an Altar in Your Home
The home altar is a sacred space, a visual symbol of the connection between heaven and earth. Creating your own altar and establishing a sacred space provides a focal point where you can make contact with God or Creator/Spirit. It is a place where you can pray or meditate. A space in your home, in your office, even in your backyard that you dedicate and consecrate, you set aside for quiet, intentional contemplation. A home altar becomes a spiritual oasis where the important aspects of your life come into focus.
Join New York Times best-selling author and internationally renowned teacher Sonia Choquette as she explains how to create a home altar.