Mindfulness (noun) : the awareness that arises from paying attention, on purpse, in the present moment and non-judgmentally.
(Definition from Jon Kabat-Zinn, the founder of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and a leader in the mindfulness industry.)
Art for Mindfulness
Kids today are going through a lot. (Franky, we all are.) The COVID-19 pandemic raised concern and awareness about the mental health of young people. However, most of the reporting has shown that the pandemic may represent just the tip of a mental health iceberg that we have been ignoring for a long time. The statistics are overwhelming and reveal a staggering need for our young adults to learn how to manage the world today. According to the American Art Therapy Association, artistic expression and the creative process enhance cognitive abilities, foster greater self-awareness, and help teens regulate their emotions.
Our classes are a small but mighty way to introduce simple, mindfulness activities that can promote brain health and flexible thinking, as well as reduce stress and anxiety. Art is already a natural way to practice mindfulness. Mindful Art (sometimes called Process Art) is the act of creating art as a way to surrender to the present moment. With this type of art, we are not striving for a particular outcome or even to make something that looks “good.” We are simply allowing ourselves the space to be creative.
Join us in exploring a variety of drawing and journaling activities to develop your own creative self care routine. Through experimentation, risk taking, and breaking some “art” rules, we will learn simple mindful art practices that promote relaxation, stress relief, and an increased sense of well-being.
In collaboration with art activities, we will also cover the following:
- What Mindfulness is and the Science behind it.
- The Benefits of Mindfulness
- A look at Emotions & Emotional Granularity
- An Introduction to Breathwork
- How Perfectionism only makes us feel inadequate
- And how you don’t need fancy art supplies to have fun doing art!
Benefits of Mindfulness
just a few...
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Improved focus & boost to working memory
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Increase in empathy & compassion towards others
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Decrease in anxiety & ruminating thoughts
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Improved emotional regulation
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Decrease in emotional reactivity
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Improvements in social interactions
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Improvement in general physical well being
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Increased ability to handle stressful situations
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Play is Essential. Art is Play.
Do you know how many life skills children learn through play? (If not, click here!)
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In our youth classes, we are creating a community that values authentic connection through creativity.
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We believe that everyone has a natural need to create. It is our intention to host a space where participants can feel safe enough to explore their creativity no matter their amount of art experience.
We believe that kids (of all ages) need nature, unstructured time and play. There are so many life skills that we learn through PLAY.
We have designed an approach to SEL (social emotional learning) through process art. Process art (also called Mindful Art) is a type of art that encourages problem-solving, risk-taking and self-expression. We focus on the making and the doing, rather than the finished product.
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We believe in the power of teaching the 4 C's of 21st Century skills (Critical Thinking, Communication, Collaboration, and Creativity).
We believe that art activities are an incredible way to stimulate mindfulness, expand growth mindset and support the learning of our own emotional health. (Meet The Sentimentals.)
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In our space, we encourage students to ask questions, develop new ideas, and to stay curious.
Curiosity primes the mind to learn and produces lifelong learners.
When we learn to listen with curiosity, we learn to listen with empathy.
And empathy is one of the foundational building blocks of great social interaction and connection.