b'the therapeutic arts (art therapy, dance and rst? Do I use a brush, and should I scribblemovement therapy, and music therapy) in today? At that point, the best thing to do isaddressingsomeofthephysiological, justtodo. Justdoit.Putthecoloronthepsychological, cognitive, social, and spiritual paper. Watch and see what happens next ifneeds of patients facing a variety of chronic youletyourhandgo.Playwithabrushillnesses. stroke,orascribblewithcrayon,andseeThe act of making and doing art on a where it lands on the paper. From there, takeregular basis has lead me to feel a sense of a deeper breath and keep on going. Youreaccomplishmenteven if the thing that I am here and this art project is part of your healthmakingdoesntinitiallylookgoodor journey. What if, at the end of it, you feel likeprofessional in any way. Its the fact that I did the colors didnt match or didnt make sense?this. I made this. As long as I can keep pushing At that moment in time when you were makingthrough the longing to stop and give up, this it, you needed that color. You needed thatthing I am making is contributing to my sense brushstroke. So let it be. These are the kindsof control over my body and over my life. of things I tell myself.My life was now an abstraction of who I So much of the art-making process requiresused to be before my diagnosis. My art needed your full attention. One needs to be able toto reect that for my own sanitys sake.pay attention to everything that your hand isdoing. If using a crayon, how hard should youHere I will try to explain a little bit about press down? If using a brush, can you blendwhat goes on in my mind when I am creating two colors together? What happens when yousomething. This, of course, all depends on waterdownyourwatercolors?Bepresentmy state of mind. If I have lately been feeling with your tools and ask yourself questions inmore of the cognitive issues like anxiety, lack the process. One can even say that doing artof focus, or overall haziness in my brain, is the act of mindfulness. By doing art, youthen I try to use more water-based mediums are being mindful with your project and within which I can rely heavily on the medium to the use of your time. do the work for me. Watercolors and alcohol Furthermore, if theres too much numbnessinks usually look so beautiful and lovely all or hand shakiness going on, then let it be.on their own without too much eort when I There were times when I had to tell myselfrst put color to paper.that my hand will do what it wants, but thatThe rst step is always the hardest.doesnt mean I should stop. I didnt want to giveSometimestheanxietytakesover,and up or give in. Perhaps I was being stubborn,leaves me with more questions than action. but I just couldnt let the MonSter win andWhere do I start? What color should I use have its way with me. I had to believe that25 msfocusmagazine.org'