#Lifestyle
This Indoor Activity Is 444% More Popular Right Now, According to Pinterest
by Caroline Harris
Americans are increasingly staying at home to help “flatten the curve” and combat the spread of COVID-19. As Americans shelter in place, they’re getting creative about how to pass the time by turning to activities like baking, reading, yoga and, lately, art therapy. Searches for art therapy activities are up by 444 percent on Pinterest since last month, and there are 2.7 million Instagram posts about art therapy as of this writing. Put simply, art therapy involves the use of artistic forms like painting, sketching, and collaging to improve mental health.
There are many reported cognitive benefits of art therapy. According to Harvard Medical School, art therapy can help reduce stress, encourage relaxation, and improve communication. Art therapy has been shown to boost memory, reasoning, and overall resilience, as well as to alleviate anxiety among people with depression, anxiety, cancer, and dementia.
Making art aids with self-expression and coping, especially during tumultuous times like the COVID-19 outbreak. If you’re curious about art therapy but don’t know where to start, you’ve come to the right place. Check out these three tips for beginning an art therapy practice at home.
1) Create a vision board.
Vision boards are an artistic tool for mapping out what you want your future to look or feel like, whether that means moving to a cool new city or dating Liam Hemsworth (a girl can dream!). Create a collage of inspiring mantras, quotes, and pictures to hang on your wall. You can use printouts from Pinterest or old magazines as source material. Look at your vision board for a few minutes every day to get inspired.
2) Send a postcard to a loved one.
Social distancing can be tough, especially when you have far-flung friends and family. Let your loved ones know you’re thinking of them by painting or doodling on a postcard to send to them. Postcards have to be a certain thickness to go through the mail, so use some card stock cut to size.
3) Start art journaling.
Journaling is a great way to process everyday emotions. To start art journaling, invest in a sketchbook, some acrylic paints, and gel pens. You can create backgrounds out of scrapbook paper, or you can paint your own background using watercoloring techniques. Then, add layers in the form of writing, stickers, pretty paper, and whatever else you’re feeling.
Remember to be patient with yourself and leave perfectionism at the door. You don’t have to share your creations with anyone unless you want to. Art therapy is designed to be relaxing and fun, so don’t worry if your pages don’t turn out exactly as you intended.
Below, we gathered art supplies you can get delivered to your door for painting, doodling, and sketching to your heart’s delight. During your next self-care session, put on some calming music and unleash your inner artist with these can’t-miss picks.
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