We’re so excited to introduce you to Catherine Harris, ATR-BC, RYT200, who will be leading our Creative Compassion workshops this September and offering-one-on-one Creative Compassion coaching.
Catherine has over 17 years of professional experience as a board-certified art therapist, meditation teacher, and yoga instructor. She understands the healing powers of creativity, mindfulness, and yoga not only from her work as an art therapist but because she has experienced the profound benefits for herself for chronic pain, difficult life transitions, grief and loss, and compassion fatigue. Because of this, she is passionate about helping others navigate stressful and challenging times in their lives by finding the tools from within to leave them feeling calm, capable, and confident no matter what they may be facing.
Every time I sit down to make art, I get lost. In a good way. There is something about the experience of engaging in this creative act that immediately pulls me in. All thoughts fade away, and I am instantly immersed in the feel of the paint brush in my hand, the sound of the pencil as it moves, the movement of my body as I move the supplies, and of course the visual evolution of the image taking shape on the page. This sensory experience that is so much a part of creation brings me fully and completely to the present moment.
This is why I say, art is meditation.
Art making is inherently an act of mindfulness. As mentioned above, this immersion in the senses helps bring our attention to the present moment. Many traditional meditations use the senses as a starting point of focus to practice this present moment awareness, inviting individuals to place their attention on sounds, smells, feelings, and sensations. Yet, these mental exercises often include the instruction to return our attention to these things when our minds have inevitably wondered in a way that can feel like arduous work. Art making naturally brings us to this place of focused attention without us having to think about it or expend so much effort.
Art making is also an act of connection. When we create art, we connect with ourselves, perhaps in a more authentic way than in our usual everyday activities. As the sensory areas of the brain are closely related to the emotional center of the brain, this stimulation of the senses through art making allows us to more quickly and deeply access and express emotional experience compared to when we verbally express ourselves in conversation. And when we can name and validate how we are feeling, we can explore what we need and offer ourselves care.
This is why art making is also an act of kindness. The creative process gently invites us to ask the question, “What do I need,” a foundational part of kindness in the practice of Mindful Self-Compassion. What do I need to get started? What do I need as the image evolves? What does the image need as it is created? Once it is complete? After regular practice with asking these questions within the creative process, it then becomes an easier leap to use it in our every day lives. What do I need this morning to feel ready for the day? What do I need going into this stressful meeting? What do I need to restore my energies after a hard day caring for others? What do I need to care for myself as I move through all of this?
And this is why I say, art is compassion.
Art and creativity ultimately show us how to be with our experience (and ourselves) in a compassionate way, inviting gentle awareness to the moment and, perhaps most importantly, care for ourselves within that moment.
Interested to learn more or experience for yourself the benefits of Creative Compassion? Connect with Catherine for an individual session or a group workshop coming soon to Breathing Spaces this September.