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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– sanand@umc.edu