Pastor’s Corner: ‘Art mindfulness’ creates freedom

When I think about what “art mindfulness” means, I think about freedom.

Life is often so full of crazy. We get up to noise. We run around crazy all day in noise and have a hard time finding escape from it.

There is such a movement toward self-care, and art mindfulness is that for me.

In my own life, I found that doing things for myself was absolutely needed, but I was taking time away from my family to do so. And in the stage of life my children are in, I didn’t want to take that time away.

There was this tug of war going on between what I wanted to do and what I needed to do.

I had fallen in love with watercolors almost 10 years ago after helping to teach a watercolor class with Sauk Valley Christian Home Educators, and that is what helped stop that tug of war. I found I could transport my painting supplies from my studio to wherever my children and husband were. I could play with color while listening to my family laugh, and that made the difference. I was taking care of myself while being with them.

The idea of teaching art mindfulness came from seeing a need in the people around me. A need to get out of their heads in order to find a place to escape the noise through art expression. My community is a range of ages, so we opened it up to anyone older than 12.

It is not a craft-making class, where we just make something to take home. My goal is to teach multimedia techniques that are portable so that those who need a place to express themselves through art can learn how to do so.

Although we do have a supply list, all that is needed is a piece of paper and something to write with. We do supply some materials in class so that those who are curious about art mindfulness also can just bring themselves to the first few classes.

We’ve spent the last year learning different watercolor techniques and are moving on to different types of art media this year.

I encourage the class to spend five minutes two times a week with their art journals. Although some are able to do that out of solitude, some are not. So I have encouraged the class to find a way to get into a habit of weekly art mindfulness wherever is most comfortable for them.

The point is to find freedom in art expression while being mindful of your thoughts, feelings and emotions. But sometimes not. Sometimes it’s just about the art, and that’s OK, too.

Community Art Mindfulness meets at 6 p.m. every second Monday of the month at Sauk Valley Community Church, 498 Route 2, Dixon. Everyone 12 and older is welcome. For information, contact me at either 815-288-7000 or 815-627-0542 or asonecommunity815@gmail.com.

Shannon Gallentine facilitates art mindfulness classes at Sauk Valley Community Church.