Relaxing Art Activities For Stress Relief

“Relaxing Art Activities” offer a tranquil retreat from everyday stress. This blog post brings together a selection of YouTube videos, each highlighting unique artistic techniques for relaxation. Featuring a range of mediums and methods, it provides a variety of options for personal creative exploration.

4 Easy Art Projects to Help You Relax & De-Stress

The video titled “4 Easy Art Projects to Help You Relax & De-Stress” by Sea Lemon explores four simple relaxing art activities aimed at stress relief. The presenter, Jennifer, emphasizes that the creation process is more important than the outcome. The video targets anyone looking to unwind, especially during stressful holidays or exam seasons.

1. Watercolor Drops: This project involves creating watery drops using watercolors on watercolor paper. The viewer watches the colors flow and blend by dropping a second color into the first, creating a simple and soothing effect. The project is not only relaxing to do but also results in a visually appealing piece of art.
2. 3D Line Art: This involves tracing a shape, like a hand, on paper and then drawing straight lines across the paper and curved lines over the traced shape. Using different colored markers or pencils, the artist creates a 3D effect. The continuous drawing of lines is presented as a soothing activity.
3. Continuous Flower: Starting from a corner or center of a page, the viewer draws a continuous pattern of petals, gradually increasing their size. This repetitive action is shown as a way to relax and give the mind a break.
4. Scribble Coloring: This project is akin to making a DIY coloring book. The artist creates intersecting scribble lines on paper, forming abstract shapes. These shapes are then filled in with colors, offering stress relief like coloring in a coloring book.

The video encourages viewers to try these projects while listening to music, watching shows, or watching more of Sea Lemon’s videos. Jennifer invites viewers to share their creations on her social media and to comment on the art or craft projects they find most relaxing.

Visit the Artist’s Youtube Channel Here

Recommended Books on Art Therapy

Affiliate Disclosure: If you purchase books from the links below, I will receive a small commission. Follow this link for more details.

Essential Art Therapy Exercises: Effective Techniques to Manage Anxiety, Depression, and PTSD

Art Therapy Sourcebook

Zentangle Art Therapy

Art Therapy Exercise – Exploring Emotional Needs

The video titled “Art Therapy Exercise – Exploring Emotional Needs” by IABET – Consciousness through Art, presented by Yasmine Pekonen offers an art therapy exercise to explore and address emotional needs. The exercise aims to provide insight into subconscious emotions and needs through artistic expression and self-dialogue.

The exercise involves the following steps:

1. Drawing Emotional State: Participants start by drawing their current emotional state inside a circle on paper. This circle serves as a safe space for expressing emotions. The choice of colors and shapes is intuitive, reflecting the participant’s feelings.
2. Dialogue with the Drawing: Participants engage in a written dialogue with it after completing the drawing. This involves asking the drawing questions to understand more about it, such as its name, origin, purpose, and what it needs to convey. The dialogue progresses to focus on the drawing’s needs and wants, exploring how these needs can be met. Participants use intuitive questioning to delve deeper into understanding their emotional state as represented by the drawing.
3. Reflecting and Responding to Needs: Yasmine shares an example of her dialogue with her drawing, illustrating how the exercise helps uncover deeper emotional layers. She discovers that her drawing needs to release sadness and give more space to its warm center. This insight suggests creating another drawing or modifying the existing one to meet these needs symbolically.
4. Art Therapy’s Metaphorical Power: The exercise demonstrates the power of art therapy in dealing with subconscious material and facilitating change through creative processes. It offers a symbolic way to address and understand emotional needs.

The video emphasizes the significance of understanding and addressing emotional needs for healthier behavior and relationships. It encourages viewers to engage in the exercise and share their experiences in the comments. The exercise doesn’t require artistic skill, focusing on intuitive expression and personal insight.

Visit the Artist’s Youtube Channel Here

Art Therapy Exercises / Spontaneous Doodling!!

In the video “Art Therapy Exercises / Spontaneous Doodling!!” by Monet Cafe with artist Susan Jenkins, the presenter introduces a simple and relaxing art activities aimed at de-stressing and unlocking creativity. The video is designed for both artists and non-artists and emphasizes the joy of spontaneous scribbling.

1. Introduction to Spontaneous Doodling: Susan Jenkins opens the video by acknowledging the current world’s stresses and promotes this exercise as a relaxing and fun way to get creative juices flowing. 
2. Materials Required: Viewers need a sketchbook and markers of two sizes – thick and thin. Susan recommends using a Pasca acrylic marker and a Micron marker. She also suggests the option of adding color to the doodles.
3. Creating the Doodle: The exercise begins with making a loose scribble, possibly using the non-dominant hand to enhance spontaneity. Susan encourages viewers to look at the scribble from different angles to find interesting shapes or forms.
4. Developing the Doodle: She demonstrates how to develop the doodle by finding and enhancing shapes within the scribble. Susan explains how she saw a figure in her doodle and developed it into an image of herself relaxing with a book.
5. The Therapeutic Aspect: Susan describes the therapeutic benefits of this exercise, including its ability to help relax and stimulate the brain’s creative areas. She suggests adding relaxing music and possibly doing the exercise outdoors.
6. Engaging with the Community: For her Patreon supporters, Susan encourages sharing their doodles in a homework album. She explains the benefits of supporting her channel through Patreon, which offers extra content and instruction.
7. Conclusion and Encouragement: The video concludes with Susan showing her finished doodles and encouraging viewers to try this exercise for relaxation and creativity. She adds that adding color to the doodles can be equally relaxing, suggesting the use of watercolor for those who prefer.

The video is relaxing and encouraging, inviting viewers to engage in a simple yet effective art therapy exercise to find peace and creativity in a stressful world.

Visit the Artist’s Youtube Channel Here

The most relaxing watercolor technique ever!

In the video “The most relaxing watercolor technique ever!” by Lemon Creation – Asia Marquet, the artist demonstrates a unique and relaxing watercolor technique. The process is spontaneous, allowing for creative freedom and unexpected results.

1. Introduction and Setup: Asia Marquet introduces the technique she discovered on Pinterest. She prepares several pieces of watercolor paper, applying a base layer of homemade watercolor in a random, oval shape.
2. Bubble Technique Exploration: She then experiments with a bubble mixture, creating bubbles on the watercolor base. The technique involves using a straw to blow into the mixture and placing the bubbles onto the paper. Asia notes that adding glycerin or baking soda can make the bubbles stronger.
3. Adding Color to Bubbles: After some experimentation, she adds liquid watercolors directly to the bubble mixture. This step creates vibrant bubbles that she transfers onto the paper.
4. Trial and Error: Throughout the process, she experiments with different amounts of bubbles and colors, noting the different effects each approach yields. Some attempts are more successful than others, and she shares her thoughts on each result.
5. Doodling and Adding Details: On some pages, Asia doodles and adds details to enhance the bubble patterns. She uses various tools, including pencils, acrylic markers, and stamps, to bring out different aspects of the watercolor textures.
6. Reflecting on the Process: Asia reflects on the spontaneity and enjoyment of the process despite some results not turning out as expected. She encourages viewers to experiment and find joy in the unpredictability of the technique.
7. Conclusion and Invitation: The video concludes with an invitation to subscribe to her channel and visit her shop. Asia emphasizes the magical aspects of this watercolor technique and its potential for creative exploration.

Throughout the video, the focus remains on this artistic process’s relaxing and therapeutic nature, inviting viewers to explore their creativity in a stress-free and enjoyable way.

Visit the Artist’s Youtube Channel Here

I hope you found these Relaxing Art Activities helpful. I hope they helped you to relax and find relief.