Art as respite from our busy lives

Some of the oldest records we have, are cave drawings. Even when our survival depended on finding food and shelter, as humans we still found time to express ourselves through art.

Times may have changed, but the number of hours in the day haven’t.

What if we went back to our origins and explored the role art can play as respite from our busy lives?

The Discovery Doodle exercise

When you’re tired of to do lists and feeling overwhelmed, have a go at the Discovery Doodle exercise. Grab a pencil and paper, then:

1. Draw what you can see. What’s sat in front of you right now? Perhaps it’s a laptop, a book, a cup of tea, or something else.
2. Draw what you’re thinking. What’s filling your brain right now? Is it all those tasks piling up on your to do list? Or maybe you’re dreaming of something else you’d rather be doing instead.
3. Draw what you’re feeling. Take note of how you’re feeling emotionally, physically, and perhaps spiritually. Sometimes it’s easier to express how you’re feeling with pictures rather than labelling with word. Put yourself at the centre of your drawing.

It’s hard to allow yourself respite when you’re busy, but so important to reclaim time for rest. If you’re looking for some accountability to make sure you have time away from overwork, you’re looking to welcome more creativity into your life, or want to make artwork but can’t think what to draw, join a community of likeminded artists. On the third Friday of every month, I host an arTEA break session online for free.

Book your place at the next arTEA break -->