I used a colouring book this week. And sketch pens. And tons of colourful chalks. Now I know it might not seem like a breakthrough, but for the first time in weeks, I wasn’t focusing on a hundred different things at once and instead, on what colours I wanted to use. You know, like when we were kids, and our biggest concern was colouring inside the lines. When I was done, I wondered why I hadn’t been doing this all along. We read articles about psychologists using art as a therapy method, about conclusive results and creative expression helping lives, but how much of that is genuinely existent around us?

After discussing this with a few people, I realized that it is everywhere. So many individuals use art and creativity as a soothing escape from their minds every day. Kanupriya Goenka, a Kolkata-based brand manager, found herself drawn to Embroidery in her spare time. She mentions “Embroidery requires utmost patience; it makes me feel calm and forget about my worries. My full attention is on just the art, and nothing else.”

Contradictory to conventions assuming that therapy is expensive, art therapy could be the opposite if you watched enough Art Attack as a child (or not!). It does not necessarily have to be about seeing a therapist and following specific steps to reach a balanced place in your life (which btw is also a viable option and if that’s your thing, awesome.)

It could be you sitting at the comfort of your home with a blank canvas, some fresh paints and some old wine. It could also be you fiercely knitting to heavy metal beats. This is precisely why many people consider art liberating and a mode of expression because the only rule is that there are no rules.

Art as therapy is not new. From Basquiat’s societal graffitis to Van Gogh’s colourful paintings loaded with dark stories, artists have been using art as a coping method for decades. Jim Carrey, our beloved Riddler from Batman Forever disappeared from the film scene for six years to quietly pursue artistry. He emerged talking about how it engulfed his mind, body and soul and left him liberated and grateful. For many people, art becomes something they ‘need’ to do more than something that they’d ‘want’ to do.

In recent times, we’ve seen a spike in the popularity of adult colouring books. You don’t need to colour The Little Mermaid when you could be colouring Jon Snow. In an article by The Hindu in April 2020, Shan Re– a Bengaluru based contemporary art therapist who released the colouring book ‘Creative Meditation with Colour’ talked about how she firmly believes that a deep engagement with art could be transformative as well as help with self-discovery. 

Numerous studies also indicate how creative hobbies can help you heal – mentally and in some cases, even physically. (Expensive healthcare, here we come!) Suman Pai, a fashion communication student from Mumbai, realized the influence of art when she stated “it relieved the stress from my body and made me more open to changes.”

Research studies across the globe also show how many people who practised it, succeeded in overcoming emotional challenges as well as traumatic experiences. Maybe art will save us all.

After reading about stories and experiences like these from around the world, we can’t help but consider giving it a shot ourselves. Here are some cheap thrills to get you started: 

– Starting an art journal 

– Doodling a comic strip

– Trying your hand at Embroidery

– Creating a self-portrait collage

– Experimenting with digital art

– Photographing little things around you 

– Decorating a cake

– Creating timelapse videos (these are super fun btw)

– Using sketch pens with your eyes closed

– Best out of waste

Art away people.