Apparently it works

 

I have been doing art for fun and relaxation and as my previous posts have said this has helped with pain relief.  Apparently doing this art has helped in more ways than temporary pain relief; it has helped me chill on a regular basis.  Last Friday I had a serious asthma attack and just happened to have a doctor's appointment.  Normally when I am having an asthma attack and go into the doctors I am hyperventilating, my blood pressure has been at stroke level and generally there is no doubt of the severity of the attack except because I am hyperventilating my O2 level is usually not to bad (but that is real bad because when I get tired of hyperventilating my blood gases are REAL bad,  I've heard  doctors swear in the hall as they read my blood gas report).  However this time my blood pressure was normal, I looked and acted normal and I was NOT hyperventilating, unfortunately my O2 levels were low due to my lack of hyperventilating.  The PA who examined me was startled when she listened to my lungs and couldn't hear breath sounds in the bottom of my lungs.  She has been treating me for years so she knows me and my lungs and reactions very well.  She was very pleased with my more relaxed  reaction, despite the lower O2, as it tends to keep the attack for getting more severe.  Very good for me!!!!

Today, I had to be driven through Atlanta to a doctor on the north side and for the first time my blood pressure was normal when I got there.  The meditation aspect of the Mandalas, zendoodle, and photo-edits just for fun has certainly made a difference in my physical well being as shown by my recent doctor visits.  I am becoming more and more a firm believer in the benefits and importance of adding art to my life.  To making it an absolute priority!

Now I would like your help and suggestions- please leave comments here or on my e-mail.  I have a daughter that gets real stressed at college and a couple of years ago for Christmas I did up an art tote bag to keep her art supplies in, so they were always handy, organized and ready to go, so she could do her watercolors, relax and decompress.  She does not use very often.  How do I convince her of the benefits that can come from taking the time to use it when she does not feel that she has that kind of time?  I would appreciate any help I could get, maybe personal experiences.  Thanks

Johnina  :^A

Different Drummer

“If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away.”
~ Henry David Thoreau~
I have loved this quote since I was in high school and while I find it relatively easy to let others keep step with their different drummer; I have found as an individual it is difficult to figure out what different drummer I hear.  As I have grown older I have found that listening to that different drummer takes a great deal of introspection and effort.  Truly following that different drummer without hesitation and with all my heart is the hardest part of all. 
One small example comes from learning to do the Mandalas.  In the directions it said to go with the flow don't think about it, just use the shape that comes to mind.  What the video showed were small shapes and my Mandala ended up small and intricate. See my post 'Mandalas' from October.  It was meditative but would have been more so if I wasn't fighting the urge to do larger more stylized shapes.  I enjoyed what I was drawing but how much more I would enjoy it by following the different drummer that was trying to be heard.  When I did listen this is what I got.


In looking at the picture I was able to figure out what it was about this picture that made me love this picture as opposed to just liking the first one.  I love the contrast between then the small details and the swooping lines. I love the wide space of rich colors and texture.  I love the deep rich colors and the bright, light highlights that add sparkle.  I colored it on GIMP so I could get those colors and the textures which I also like.  I find coloring in with colored pencils extremely relaxing but it takes a long time to get that kind of rich color and I wanted to see how this would turn out quicker than using the pencils.  I am going to do one with pencils to complete my following of that different, distant drummer.
Even though this is just a small example; how often do we follow the crowd or the social instructions all the time with that different, distant drummer whispering to us that there are other ways that we could enjoy ourselves so much more.  Following the crowd enters our lives so often and it is only through either introspection first and courage to follow through or trying something new and different and then considering what made the experience special that we can follow that different drummer.  I'm in my 50's and I'm still figuring out what my different drummer is and how best to follow it.   With my introspection and trying to find my path I always make sure that it fits with those behaviors that I know are moral and correct.  Following the crowd when it is moral and correct brings about the greatest joy and happiness, especially when we use our own special style and talents.
Johnina  :^A

Thank you, Nora

 

I have had several really bad days in a row and so I really appreciate Nora's suggestion of coloring in a copy of the Mandala that I drew.  I found that coloring them in to be just as relaxing as the original drawing of it was.  I scanned it on my printer and than printed it onto card stock making several copies.  For the first one I colored I wanted to do a quick and easy one, so I decided to keep it simple using just a few colors, using black to do the basic outlines of the designs and leaving quite a bit of white so I gathered markers of only a few colors, not paying attention to the brand.  I quickly remembered why I now only buy certain brands.  I use Sharpie markers, they come in many colors and points and are reasonably priced.  I found with the off brands that they tend to run out of color quickly, have muddy colors, do not apply evenly and are generally somewhat frustrating to work with.  Sharpies do tend to bleed though the paper, but that can be taken care of easily enough just by putting down a sheet or two of cheap paper.  I don't use markers often enough to have tried the artist quality marker so I have no idea how much better they might be than the Sharpies.

  This is the second Mandala that I colored.  I decided to do a more complicated job of coloring.  For this one I used colored pencils, regular ones, watercolor ones, and soft blend-able ones.  It took a couple of days to complete this one and I just finished it this morning.  I could have done more layering and blending, but I was anxious to see what it would look like completely filled with color.  I think the next one I do I will take more time, do more layers and blending and more of the touches that add finesse and finish to a drawing.    

Since I do most of my drawing and artwork in pencil both graphite and colored pencil I've tried several brand and have my favorites.  Crayola colored pencils are my favorite student quality pencils and Crayola watercolor pencils are also available.  They come in lots of colors work pretty well, are available easily and are reasonably priced.  I used them for a long time.  When I upgraded to artist quality I was lucky that the first ones that I tried were Derwent colored pencils.  I noticed a vast difference in the ease and quality of the work done with the pencils from the very first stroke.  The kids were impressed and noticed a significant difference in the quality from the first time I showed them a new drawing; and then when they used them they were just as excited as I was.  This brand offers many different types of colored pencils and they are all wonderful and delightful to use.  (All are available on amazon, just click on the colored pencil site above or the Amazon.com locator on the bottom right of this blog.)  The colors are also very fade resistant.  It's very disappointing to put a lot of time into a piece of artwork only to have the colors fade and that is a problem with colored pencils.  I have tried many other brands and have found each one to have at least one frustrating point.  Things like tips that break easy, pencils that drag, uneven color distribution.  However, I have found that other artists have their favorites, too.  But after trying some other highly recommended pencils only to be frustrated with them I now pretty well stick with Derwent.  You may find you like others better because of the way you use your pencils or Derwent may not be as popular simply because it is a little harder to find; but now that it is on Amazon that problem is gone.  Anyway find what works for you.  The materials you use should not be a source of frustration.  For me that is especially important which is probably why I got on such a band wagon about my favorite brands.

If you like to do art work I hope it brings as much pleasure and joy into your life as it does in mine.  And with the bad days that I have had lately; art has made all the difference in the world in my life.  Coloring in the Mandalas was a great suggestion and has served me well.

Johnina  :^A 

Mandala

Mandala Zentangle Style- 1st attempt

I don't remember where I found out about the You Tube demonstration on this style of Mandala but I am sure glad I did.  In case you don't know what a Mandala is; it is an ancient art form, usually a circle, which is usually used as a focus for meditation.  The making of a Mandala is also used as a type of meditation.  It is done in colored sand in some monasteries by monks in the present day.  I've seen pictures and videos of it being done and it is fascinating.  The reason I don't remember where I found this style is because I found it a while ago and never got up the courage to try this new technique even though I liked the look and had done some Mandalas in the past.  But with reading 'The Sound of Paper' by Julie Cameron I gathered my courage and tried it.  It was wonderful!!!!  Making it turned out to be a form of meditation and a GREAT distraction from the pain.  I started on it last night and got lost in it, losing track of time AND PAIN.  It didn't take away the pain because when I stopped there was an immediate return of the pain; I was just lost in the creation and not paying attention to the pain.  Just like hypnosis does not take away the pain, it just takes your mind elsewhere.  I had my last three babies with hypnosis; while my body was busy and in full labor, my mind was on the beach relaxing.  The pain was still there though; I know because one Doctor walked in touched me on the leg and said 'time to wake up an have this baby' and I came right out of the hypnosis in the middle of a 'let's push this baby out' contraction and promptly panicked;  I've even had stitches in my neck without even having had a local while using hypnosis.   I wish I could stay in a state of hypnosis at times, but it does have it's limits like laying down and being still and not really accomplishing anything (except for having a baby).  I think I will try another one and be a little more adventurous and use some color.

Below is the You tube demonstration if you would like to try it.