#41 Brushstrokes for Balance, Exploring Art's Influence on Mental Health and Wellness w Chloe Greenberg

[: 00:00:00

[00:00:16] Natalie: Chloe, welcome to the show.

[: 00:00:17

[00:00:20] Natalie: So please, Chloe, just start off by introducing yourself in your own words, and then we'll get

[: 00:00:24

[00:00:43] Chloe: Especially art because we can get into this perfectionist mindset, and it can Through art help us with procrastination. So yeah, I've been doing art for a very long time since I was a kid and it's just my favorite thing to do.

[: 00:00:58

[00:01:03] Natalie: So I hope everybody will go and check it out. Her. Instagram will be in the in the show notes, but just seeing how art can be so therapeutic for everybody, whether you yourself are an artist or you are appreciating art, I think there's always a way that we can find ways to connect through art. So Chloe, as we know, this show is all about mental wellness and, um, I need to know how does engaging in art and creative activities positively impact our overall wellness and mindset?

[: 00:01:33

[00:01:34] Chloe: Um, it, the biggest impact that it's had on myself and others is really just stress reduction. When you get into this flow state, your mind just is so present to what's happening in the moment and you're so excited about learning new things, whether it's different colors that you're putting together.

[: 00:01:50

[00:02:19] Natalie: For yourself, do you feel like, uh, whether for yourself or any clients, can you share any stories maybe of how art has been transformative and kind of helped in that healing process? Yeah,

[: 00:02:30

[00:02:38] Chloe: Um, they love to feel connected with the group. So there's that aspect of feeling like they get to meet new other creatives, but just how specifically art has been helpful for them. It just. It's just like a, it's like a freedom that they've felt and I hear that often like just a sense of like a breath of fresh air like a weight has just lifted off their shoulders, because they're just giving themselves they're making time for themselves, which maybe they previously weren't doing.

[: 00:03:07

[00:03:26] Chloe: You really don't need that much time to just do a bit of exercise with your. Whatever tools that you have and it just gives you a break. So yeah, I would say that that's that's the

[: 00:03:36

[00:04:03] Natalie: Even that, talking about that word freedom, like now you're feeling it again. It's giving you an opportunity to feel new emotion that you might not have been able to feel through throughout your busy day, right? So it's just that opportunity to kind of slow down and really be present in the moment. So I think that's a really powerful use of use of art.

[: 00:04:22

[00:04:44] Natalie: But really, I think if art can be A medium that can flow so maybe you can talk a little bit more about that different ways in which you see people respond to art. It's a variety of tools.

[: 00:04:54

[00:05:02] Chloe: So the first one is oil pastel, which I don't post much about, but it's just so freeing because You don't need to worry about how to hold the brush, how much water it needs to have, um, how to mix colours. It's all in these pastels. And pastels are different than crayons. You can layer them, they've got texture, they've, it gives you, um, it just allows you to immediately play and not need to set anything up, which is great.

[: 00:05:32

[00:06:01] Chloe: Um, and that's, that, that can be quite hard for some people at the beginning because it's like, wait, no, I have this expectation. It needs to be this way. And I really want people to, in all my watercolor classes we do, um, the first half is just practicing the exercises. And then we actually do the painting, um, whereas with acrylic, it's, um, it's a, it's a, it's a mix between the two of them.

[: 00:06:29

[00:06:48] Chloe: So that gives you a lot of freedom that way, where you don't really get that flexibility with watercolor that easily. Um, so acrylic is great in that way as well. They're all very different, um, but, and they give beautiful different results as well. So yeah, different ways of exploring

[: 00:07:05

[00:07:25] Natalie: If you want more control, maybe you're going to go with the pastel. So I've never really thought about. Um, art in that way, but I think it would be really good even to kind of do baby steps, right? So, okay, maybe they start with the pastels, then they go to the acrylic, then when they get to a certain level of seeing themselves or just being able to let go and really let the art kind of do its own thing, they can progress to watercolor.

[: 00:07:50

[00:08:16] Natalie: But what are some of the benefits that you have seen for your clients or just other people who are engaging in art? Yeah,

[: 00:08:22

[00:08:41] Chloe: Um, and that can be really helpful. Um, and also when you get used to the tools a bit more, then you're able to create some sort of self expression when you just feel like you're a little bit more understanding of the tools. Um, you can do all sorts of mark making, um, and it just gets you in this flow state.

[: 00:08:59

[00:09:20] Chloe: I hear a lot of my clients will just say, you know, it's just a perfect time for me to have playtime. Like some of them have kids, and they just, they're starting to get into that again because they're teaching their kids to do that. Um, But with their own practice and learning a bit more about the tools, it just allows them to be playful with their kids.

[: 00:09:40

[00:10:12] Chloe: And that's actually quite nice. So I would suggest to not throw out the things that you think are absolutely terrible because it also shows you your progress. So that's where the accomplishment sense comes in because you're like, wow, okay, that's where I came from. And now I can see how much I've accomplished or learned or just made progress.

[: 00:10:29

[00:10:40] Natalie: I actually really like what you talked about, about art being a way that people can play and kind of find joy.

[: 00:10:46

[00:11:04] Natalie: Disappears with the roles and responsibilities that you have for life. You have bills to pay, you have trusts, you have interest rates to worry about. There's all of these things, right? So using art as a way to kind of detach from those realities and kind of stimulate that part of your brain that says, I just want to create again.

[: 00:11:23

[00:11:44] Natalie: And even the idea for parents and for any parents that are listening, I know a lot of my listeners are moms, and this idea of... Going through their own art journey to then be able to be more present with their children as they're taking them through art. That is really interesting to me too. Because my son is young, he's only two, so he's just starting to get into little things with crayons.

[: 00:12:05

[00:12:25] Natalie: Yeah, so I think I really like that. And, you know, a lot of people, they struggle to tap into this creative potential side. They might be worried. You know, my art's not good enough. I'm not artistic. I don't know, you know, what to do. There might be a fear of judgment whether it's themselves or others, especially like even in an art class.

[: 00:12:43

[00:12:51] Chloe: So. I love group classes for many reasons. One on one is excellent because I'm there to help support them through that. But I, on top of that, when it's group, I have people pause throughout the class and just move their bodies and walk around and see what other people are doing.

[: 00:13:09

[00:13:29] Chloe: Maybe a starfish or a spaceship or a dragon, just like the most random and cool things. And so as people walk around the room, they're awakened to not think, um, that what they're doing is bad or wrong. Um, and they're able to see that everyone's got a totally different style and they can start appreciating like other people's work, but then they start hearing that with themselves.

[: 00:13:54

[00:14:16] Chloe: If we're judging ourselves based on being halfway there. Obviously, it's not going to look perfect. We didn't accomplish the thing and it's exactly like that with art. You have an unfinished painting so far. So, of course, it's not going to be looking the way that you want it to. So, having trust in the process, again, I'm going to wrap that back again into this because you have to allow yourselves to continue to the end.

[: 00:14:42

[00:15:05] Chloe: Maybe for me, it's flowers. I think you can see lots of flowers all over the place. And nature for me is my inspiration. Um, Thank you. But for some people it's, you know, portraits. Maybe it's just landscapes. Maybe it's something else. Um, so yeah, just finding appreciation for Your work is always key because we're never going to be perfect and there's no such thing.

[: 00:15:31

[00:15:58] Chloe: It's not like we're learning to um, it's, well, it is like we're learning to walk for the first time. We're learning how to do something new so of course it's going to be uncomfortable so I do have to remind people of that.

[: 00:16:13

[00:16:30] Natalie: I can't do it because I do find that I find, sorry, I do find that it's relaxing, that I'm just able to express myself and use my brain in different ways. And I like to push myself. So I want, I'm like, let me just. I use my brain in different ways, so I've attended two different paint night, you know, type situations where you're doing like a sunset and I remember halfway through, but first when I told the instructor, I'm like, No, this is not working.

[: 00:16:55

[00:17:15] Natalie: They want to see all the steps laid out right away. They want to understand that they can go from Like A to Z with their, whatever it is that they're working on. And I think, um, in art it doesn't necessarily work that way. And so again, this idea of surrender, trusting the process and realizing that it's building over time.

[: 00:17:34

[00:17:56] Natalie: Have you found that?

[: 00:17:57

[00:18:28] Chloe: I don't know how to do this and I'm not doing this right. And just, just practicing and playing, you know, I'm there to guide people through the process but when I'm not there when I'm talking to somebody else, for example, it's just. You can do this and if you just eliminate those thoughts, it gets you there so much faster.

[: 00:18:46

[00:19:07] Chloe: Um, but when I had them practice, just, we're not thinking today, we're literally just doing. Um, that was a massive transformation, and that I think some people just needed to hear, like, it's already in you. And it's just waiting to come out and you can do this as long as you have that belief and we're just doing today we're just practicing we're putting on that scientist head playing like this is this is just time to have fun and that that helped a lot of people.

[: 00:19:38

[00:20:05] Natalie: Hmm.

[: 00:20:07

[00:20:34] Chloe: Yeah, I just can't stress that enough just like practicing new tools learning new things your energy is so taken up with what you're doing, trying to figure out all the things trying to be just a sponge to everything that you're hearing. Um, and then you're kind of curious like. Well, wait, I missed that part.

[: 00:20:52

[00:21:17] Chloe: Everything else just melts away. You are in your own world, your own little bubble, and that's just a bubble of joy. And that's what I really want people to get out of art because that it, it feels so great. And that helps with mindfulness attend 10 times. So, yeah.

[: 00:21:36

[00:21:43] Natalie: So that just reinforces how much art for you personally takes you into a flow state and takes you into a space of, of just sheer joy of, I guess no pressure. just a, a space to be and, and a, and a space to create. So, that, that is really exciting and, and really powerful and one. Our artistic expression, it can be a solitary experience, it can be a communal experience, but people are participating in art focused communities or workshops or even classes like what you teach.

[: 00:22:13

[00:22:19] Chloe: I think it's always inspiring to see that everyone has such a different take on even if we're doing step by step instructions, um, to see, to just appreciate. The little details that other people are doing, um, the expression that they have coming through their brushstrokes, um, their mark making, their, their color usage, all these different things that make artwork what they are, um, it just helps people to feel like, Oh, wow, that's, that's really neat.

[: 00:22:46

[00:23:16] Chloe: And then through that, that we are now informed of so many different facts that people want to share about themselves. And then that, you know, so many people I see them just kind of calling across the table like, Oh my gosh, that's so cool. I did that too. Or tell me about that. Where was that experience that you had, like, and just so many different topics that they have to talk about suddenly.

[: 00:23:37

[00:24:01] Chloe: And I'll always point that out because when the classrooms go silent and there's maybe 40 people in the class. It is an indication that people are thinking like oh my god I have to be perfect okay what's happening and they're just so in their heads and I'm like I can hear you thinking like let's take a pause and everyone laughs and like oh my gosh yeah that's totally me and.

[: 00:24:23

[00:24:31] Natalie: I love that. I'm going to pay attention to that. If the next time I take an art class, if I hear silence, I'm going of our own heads. So what are some accessible and beginner friendly art activities that the listeners can try at home to support their well being?

[: 00:24:50

[00:25:22] Chloe: That's art. If I were to create an outline of any piece of artwork that I have done with a brush stroke or with oil pastels, all art is, is literally circles, half circles, curves, or straight lines, like just three of those. Straight curved or a circle. Um, it just creates all different forms of shapes and just so doodling is that it's as simple as doodling so it doesn't have to be some large piece.

[: 00:25:56

[00:26:27] Chloe: Is actually creating art. So you can do that anytime and it's very accessible. You can do it with a pen. You know, people are pencil artists and fantastic at that. So it really doesn't need to be complicated. You have the tools at home and I'm sure you've got a piece of paper scrap piece of paper somewhere and that's all it takes.

[: 00:26:43

[00:27:04] Chloe: And another cool thing about doing doodles is that if you were to do just an outline, you can fill it in with colour with something else. Um, and it doesn't have to be that day, but later, right? So you can create your own. Frame of artwork. And I think because you mentioned kids, um, that could actually be a fun tool where if you're starting to doodle and outline of a landscape or maybe their favorite toy on a big sheet of paper, you can have them just color in different aspects of that.

[: 00:27:34

[00:27:45] Natalie: I think it's really helpful because I feel like you just simplified it.

[: 00:27:50

[00:28:15] Natalie: And I think that's such a good tip. And finally, Chloe, what advice do you have for someone who's curious about using art as a medium to support their wellness and mindset, but they might feel hesitant or unsure of where to begin?

[: 00:28:29

[00:28:40] Chloe: I'm just getting comfortable with whether it's a pencil, crayon, whether, whatever you have at home, just getting used to that and just start doodling. Just, um, start mark making. Even if it is a few scribbles, like you can do crisscross, that's called, um, hatching. There's And, you know, I think the more that you start practicing small circles, big circles, and then fill those in with different colors, or just, just any kind of scribbles, any kind of mark making that you can possibly think of, um, even if you see a shape, like if you're looking at a tree, and you're like, okay, I want to make that tree into a scribble, just do some angles here, just one side, and another way, and just see what happens.

[: 00:29:17

[00:29:41] Chloe: Um, that would really help with journal, like doing art journaling, where you don't need to have a brush involved if you're uncomfortable with that, um, because you can, your mind can just kind of Not think about what's happening. You can actually really just focus on the colors and the layers and the textures that you're doing.

[: 00:30:02

[00:30:25] Chloe: It allows you to create layers. like acrylic and basically erase what's underneath it, but it's got the ability to feel like a watercolor and you can actually make it like watercolor. You would just need watercolor paper for that medium. Um, and so it's kind of a nice happy medium between the two, uh, that is also light to carry around if you wanted to travel with it.

[: 00:30:51

[00:31:15] Natalie: Okay. Yeah, no, that's such, such, such great tips. So Chloe, um, in closing, I just want you to tell the people how they can find you, how they can learn more about what you offer. Please, promote yourself.

[: 00:31:28

[00:31:59] Natalie: Yes. Awesome. And all of that will be in the show notes for you folks. Thank you, Chloe, so much for being on this show. And to all the listeners out there, remember to continue to serve yourself, your loved ones, and your communities from Full Cup.