Sometimes in art making, and in any other area of life, the hardest part is just getting started. Today’s Jump Start Art Therapy exercise is this:



1.    Start with an art material which tends to give you discomfort or a feeling that you are not in control.

For example, I’m more at ease with art materials that are forgiving and blend and that lend themselves to more abstract work, so I chose to start with permanent markers. For those of you who find precision or realistic expression gratifying, I suggest a chalk or oil pastel. One reason for this is that you will likely “mess up.” This will be useful. I encourage you to notice your responses to making a mistake and then remind yourself that it’s of no consequence whatsoever. You are wring the word start with art materials. Big deal if you mess up. Many times when we procrastinate or feel stuck on a project, it’s due to a fear of failure. This kind of art therapy exercise gives you the experience of inviting mistakes and incorporating them into the process. Flexibility and resourcefulness are thereby strengthened. You will be able to apply these qualities to all areas of your professional and personal life.

2.    Write the word “start” repeatedly on any size paper, cardboard, plywood, etc.

The only expectation is that you write the word “start” repeatedly, until you feel something shift within your consciousness. This may come in the form of an insight or idea for the project with which you had been feeling stuck. It may be that you feel more relaxed, open-minded, or playful. These states of mind are essential to problem solving.

You may experience an increase in frustration or self-judgment. If this happens, keep expressing that via the art. Take out all of your frustration through art-making. It’s ok at this point to veer from the original instruction and follow your artistic impulses. If you find that it’s only exacerbating your frustration, put the art away, and do the thing that always works to lift your spirits (exercise, talk to your best friend, etc.) Return to the art at another time. It is more likely that through this process, you will experience a shift into relief, release or even exhaustion. Something you were holding, some tension will have been released and this inevitably creates space in your consciousness. It may not be immediately evident. Some people report that in the shower or while driving to work the next day, the answer they had been longing for arises with great clarity.

If you’re feeling good and having fun, then keep doing what you’re doing, and following your impulses until the piece feels complete. If you’re uncertain, ask the art piece, “are you complete?” You will know.

3.    Share your experience.

Let me know how it goes! Share your response in the comments section or the contact me page, if you’d prefer I keep your response private. It’s always beneficial to share your experience with a trusting friend as well! Have fun.

“I could do that.” How many times have you heard or spoken these words in response to a piece of Modern or Contemporary Art? The next comment from an artist friend or the creative part of your psyche says, “Well, what’s stopping you?”

In the painting above, I used a 4’ x 2’ piece of plywood and old house paint I collected from neighbors. I dipped 1”x 1” pieces of wood into the paint cans, then dripped, splattered and struck the wood until, at some point, something in me said, “I’m done.” I call this “Free Art” and encourage you to give it a try. What do you have to lose? The practice is to free your mind of judgments, expectations and pressure and follow pure creative impulse. When thoughts arise, notice them and then return to the art making, thereby freeing yourself from their rule. It’s even more freeing if you use materials that you find, reuse, or that already exist in nature. I GUARANTEE you will be surprised by the process and the product (or your money back!)

Free Art takes many forms for me, but this painting technique, often called “drip painting” or “action painting” was explored in depth by artists such as Janet Sobel and Jackson Pollock. Feel free to reference these artists for inspiration and ideas. Above all, be sure to listen for your inner creative impulse and desires, and follow those…giving yourself FULL PERMISSION. (remember-- Free Art!)

Do what you need to do to remove worry about making a mess such as working outside or on top of a large tarp or drop cloth. Have your materials ready, including water and rags. Then, go! You really don’t need any other instruction, because you are a human. And, as humans, we are gifted with this innate ability to make art. We instinctively know how to engage our imaginations and creative impulses and make stuff. No matter what it looks like, the end result will be a piece of art. You may hate it, love it, and most likely have a host of thoughts, feelings and sensations in response to it, but it will be a creation that never before has and never again will exist in this form.

Once this creation is manifest, interact with it and with others in relation to it. Even if you deem it the “ugliest” piece of art you ever did see, one way of looking at it is that it is a precious gift from your psyche, or from the collective unconscious (a concept coined by Carl Jung). When we ask our images: “who are you,” & “if you could talk, what would you say,” we open ourselves up to receiving wisdom and intelligence. You will get a response in the form of a thought, feeling or sensation. Try practicing interest and curiosity instead of judgment and dismissal. People often report that they get very clear direction on a decision with which they’ve been struggling. Others say that it feels more like a nudge that gets them closer to clarity and action. Sometimes, it’s that the process of painting freely feels like a huge release of tension, and they decide to incorporate Free Art making as a part of their self care regimen. Long before the Abstract Expressionist art movement of the 20th century, our ancestors made expressive art on the walls of their cave dwellings. It was an essential component of their-and our- evolution and survival. It still is.

So, when you attempt to make a piece of Free Art, you may feel fear or judgment arise. This is common and normal, especially if you haven't made this kind of art since the third grade. You may not know how the materials work. Do it anyway. You learn quickly the difference between a water- based paint and an oil- based paint by experimenting with them. Use your good judgment when it comes to safety issues and making choices about the use of materials that include toxic ingredients. We can always chose less or non-toxic art materials or use items found in nature. When you think things like, “I’m not an artist” or “this is a waste of time,” I invite you to paint, draw, or scratch out something anyway and see what happens. You can use a pencil on a 5”x7” envelope. Whatever the materials are and whatever your time frame (1 minute works), the instructions are:

Unleash - close your eyes and fully unleash your creative impulses using some sort of materials.
Reflect- step back and notice thoughts, feelings and sensations that arise in response to the creation.
Interact- converse with the piece and preferably with another person about the art making process and the art product.


Let me know how it goes. I’d love to hear your experience. If nothing else, the next time you go to the Museum of Modern Art, you can say, “I do this.”