When is the last time you picked up a box of markers or crayons without a purpose in mind? For many of us, it may have been elementary school. Often, if people don’t feel they are artistically inclined, the idea of picking up art materials does not feel like a good match. However, using art materials is a wonderful way to bring creative distraction into the world of grief. Painting, drawing, doodling or sculpting allows you to detach and live in the moment rather than continuously thinking about your loss.

Art can be used to “talk” in another fashion and express things that are difficult to verbalize. Art can allow for a safe release and a place to put feelings and emotions that might otherwise be too hard to express. Art can help you explore the feelings associated with your loss and process them. And it can also be used as a form of meditation and a place to provide a sense of calm. Studies have shown that creating art increases serotonin levels in the brain, which helps fight depression. Engaging in art may help regulate the highs and lows during grief by providing mindfulness as the bereaved adapts to the new life without the deceased.

Art therapy can be accessed individually or within a group of other people experiencing the same kind of loss. You can meet with an art therapist to explore ways to access your thoughts and feelings through creative means or to create within a group setting and share your story with others.

How can you access some of these benefits on your own?

• Pull out those old thin markers or grab a fine-point black Sharpie. Then, Google the word “Zentangles” or go to Zentangle.com to learn a new way of doodling. This repetitive method provides a sense of calm as one repeats strokes of lines and dots to create patterns.
• Find a watercolor set of paints. Using large strokes, paint circles and lines on your paper. Don’t worry about the finished product, but allow your mind to choose colors that fit your mood and move your brush as you please.
• Pick up some old magazines. Tear out images in the magazines that remind you of a safe space. It could be a real space at home or an imaginary space such as a backyard treehouse. Collage these images onto paper. You may want to draw or paint around the pictures to add more background. Revisit this space when you are feeling overwhelmed.
• Purchase some clay or modeling compound if you don’t have any in your home. Allow yourself the freedom to throw it or pound on it, like you did in kindergarten. Grab a rolling pin and roll it out. Squish and squeeze it as you focus on how it feels in your hands. If you want to take it further, sculpt a few family members and how they might interact with you during this time.
• Locate an old shoebox or any kind of box with a lid. Paint the outside of the box. Add photos of the deceased or another special paper to decorate the outside. Once it’s dry, find special notes or belongings from your loved one and place inside. You may even want to write a letter to your loved one telling them what you miss about them or how they made you feel.

Grief is a yo-yo. It is a back-and-forth process of paying attention to your feelings and finding healthy distractions. Art can provide both a creative distraction and a pathway to accessing your emotions. Give yourself permission today to create something new and see what evolves on the other side.