How to Use Watercolor Painting to Heal Your Mind, Body, and Soul
In this day and age of bills, appointments, and obligations, we can all get a little bit stressed out. It’s hard not to when our everyday lives are so busy! However, it’s important to find outlets for that stress rather than letting it all pile up. Here at -company name-, we prefer to let our stress out through watercolor painting. From its therapeutic qualities to its life-changing abilities, watercolor painting can soothe the soul and relax the body. Here are just a few of the reasons why it’s so effective.
Encourages Us to be Present
Let’s be honest: we all spend a fair amount of time in other worlds, especially when it comes to our phones and computers. And when we aren’t clicking away on our virtual worlds, we’re often worrying about the past or the future. Watercolor painting encourages us to stay present. If our minds wander, our paintbrush lines waver. By focusing on the task at hand, we allow our troubles to drift away and focus on the here and now.
Teaches Us to Accept Our Mistakes
We all beat ourselves up over our mistakes. Whether it’s at work or in our personal lives, even minor slip-ups can send us into a frenzy. But watercolor painting teaches us that mistakes are fixable. Because watercolors are so forgivable, we can just press a little more water onto the page to forgive our mistakes. If watercolors treat us so well, surely we can treat ourselves that way, too.
Allows Us to be Creative
How many of us are allowed to be creative in our daily lives? There’s a good chance that we don’t always get those kinds of opportunities during our day-to-day schedules. However, sitting down with a cup of water and some paint gives us the chance to seize our creativity. You could even say it gives us a little freedom - whatever texture, whatever color, and whatever canvas we use is our decision and ours alone.
Painting Promises Possibility
The everyday grind can get us a little bit dogged down from time to time. We often feel like we aren’t progressing as much as we could or that we aren’t moving as fast as we’d like to. When we pick up our paintbrushes, we can let some of that pressure fade away. With painting, we get a few moments of relaxation and the reassurance that we’re moving just as fast as is necessary.
Watercolor Painting Inspires Us
Inspiration doesn’t always strike when we’ve got all these obligations to fulfill. In contrast, our canvas can give us that spark of inspiration just with a single glance. With that creative energy, we can become inspired not only in our watercolor work, but in our lives. Just having that creative outlet can mean a world of difference for the everyday busy-body.
Watercolor Painting Allows Us to Process
The hard days are often hard to process and come to terms with without internalizing our feelings. When we’re so connected to all the going-ons of the world around us, having the emotional capability to deal with the business of the day isn’t always easy. Watercolor painting gives us a chance to be with our paintbrushes, our feelings, and our paint; it gives us quiet time and the opportunity to process in that quiet.
Watercolor Painting Gives Us a Fresh Start
When we’re feeling stuck or lost in our lives, a blank canvas can be our saving grace. After all, it’s a chance to do something completely new with your art. You can decide to leave all of it blank or color the entire page, but the important part is that it’s your decision. It’s a chance to leave behind all the bad stuff and pursue something that’s totally yours.
Watercolor Painting Can Connect Us With Our Loved Ones
Watercolor painting is a great way to connect with the ones we love via artistic means. When we get the chance to gather with those we care about, having an activity that everyone can enjoy together is one of the best feelings. So gather up your paints and your paintbrushes for a therapeutic experience for friends, family, and yourself.
Written by Alexis Mesa