Breaking Routines With Art Therapy

There is a work of art each of us was destined to create.

– Paulo Coelho

As creatures of habit, we love routine. It establishes structure and predictability in our lives – it sets our expectations and keeps us in our comfort zone. As the brain strives to make the uncertain world as predictable as possible, our comfort zone becomes smaller, tighter and more comfortable. While our routines attempt to simplify life, they also starve us of new, exciting experiences. These new experiences are what our brains need for vitality, vigor, and life. When we get stuck in a routine that is negative or debilitating, it can affect our mental, physical and emotional wellbeing – and it can be very difficult to break those patterns. Our thoughts becomes our actions, which become our routine. Finding a balance between routine and spontaneity is a delicate task, but one that is essential for happiness and peace.

Art is one of many tools to help us break the cyclical, routine patterns of everyday life and provide us stress relief.  Art allows our mind to “draw outside the lines” and let go of built up stress, emotion and anger. Creative expression in any form allows us to tap into our emotions and release built up energy. In fact, researchers at Drexel University found that “45 minutes of creative activity significantly lessens stress in the body, regardless of artistic experience or talent.” The study measured participant’s cortisol levels – our biological indicator related to stress – to better understand the therapeutic effects of art-making.

There are so many types of art therapy so the next time you’re feeling stressed, pick up your markers, paint, writing tools or craft material and let your imagination run wild. Draw outside the lines. Be creative. Be bold. At The TouchPoint Solution, we recently asked our customers and our community to be a part of the creative design process for our new TouchPoints basic. Featuring customizable stickers, individuals of all ages were asked to design stickers for our new models and let their imagination run wild – anything from wild horses to sacred geometry to cartoons and animations. We received dozens of beautifully designed stickers from men and women, boys and girls, young and old. While the designs were all artistically unique, what really stood out to us was the comments associated with each design associating art, therapy and TouchPoints. Here are a few of our favorites:

“Inspired by the brain connections made to control our thoughts, emotions, and actions… #TouchPoints help us get control over the stress response and get into the “calm” zone.” – The Cliffside Group