It seems that a lot of us suffer from stress in our daily lives. We live in a world where it’s so easy to be overwhelmed by work, school, social interactions and conflicts. We are constantly busy and stimulated by all kinds of things, having too many thoughts inside our heads.

Being able to stop the madness (even if it’s just for a moment) is crucial to take care of ourselves and our mental health in order to avoid issues like anxiety or depression. There are a lot of self-care activities, but in this post I’m gonna talk about drawing as a form of therapy.

Why should you draw for self-care?

Art is a way to redirect your attention and channel your emotions, reduce anxiety and increase self esteem. It gives you a sense of personal well-being without medication. If we talk about doodling, it’s very convenient and not intimidating as an art form (no fancy supplies or techniques) so in my opinion it’s perfect to practice self-care and reconnect with your inner artist.

How to start? You should create your own Self-Care Art Kit.

What is a self-care art kit?

Self-care box by I am Komposed

Ok, drawing is good, we get it. But let’s be real, you probably don’t have a lot of time and even feel lazy about it. You have to find your art supplies, choose one, search for drawing ideas, find one that you like… god, just let me die in the middle of my living room.

So, drawing is not convenient for your personal situation? Make it convenient. And that’s where the self-care art kit comes in.

A self-care art kit means putting together all the stuff you need for drawing when you want time for yourself.

Having everything that makes you happy ready in one place makes it easy to just grab it and start drawing inmediately. It’s really difficult to find excuses, and that’s exactly the point. You just have to play some music, get a cup of coffee and relax.

What do you include in your self-care art kit?

Self-care box by Imma Eat That

You don’t need much, just some basic stuff to get started with no effort:

– PAPER

Where would you like to draw on? Some random sheets of paper are more than enough, but you can also add your favorite sketchbook or journal. That way you’ll have all your drawings compiled in one place, and it will be easier to see the progress you make over time.

– ART SUPPLIES

What do you feel most comfortable drawing with? You don’t have to put a whole stationery catalog in your Self-Care Art Kit, just 3–4 art supplies to not spend a whole lot of energy trying to choose (remember we want to eliminate that initial resistance). I think a pencil, a pen/fineliner and 2 or 3 color markers are just right.

– A MIX OF NICE THINGS

Think about complementary stuff that makes you happy so the drawing experience is more pleasing. For example: candles, perfume, snacks…

Doodle ideas by @mariopatterns (me!)

Your secret weapon: a list of activities

A part of that “inspiration” section of your Art Kit should be a list of activities you want to try. The reason behind it is the same we’ve been talking about, you have to eliminate the initial decision-making part.

Here you have some ideas for your list:

– Mandalas

A perfect art form for meditation based on radial shapes. You can learn this article about Meditation Through Art, with a mandala tutorial included!

– Patterns

Drawing repetitive elements can be so relaxing! A lot of pattern inspiration on my Instagram.

– Zentangle

An art form based on doodling and patterns, really interesting results! Check out Dedic Heaven Youtube Channel for lots of inspiration on this topic.

– Coloring books

Experiment with different materials with very little pressure about the final result. Check out CherTheFire’s Youtube Channel about Coloring and Meditative Drawing.

– Draw your breath

A very original drawing exercise I saw on Creativity In Therapy.

– 15 doodle prompts

Depending on your feelings at the moment. Check out the article from Side Trend.

– Simple drawing techniques for anxiety

A very interesting article from Mindful Art Studio.