“To heal is to reclaim your power, one breath, one step, and one moment at a time.”
When you’ve been through a lot, or there’s a tornado brewing inside you, words sometimes just don’t cut it when it comes to expressing what’s inside. The arts can help you get outside the box. That’s why you can lean into artistic expression as a way to create equilibrium through sharing what’s within. In fact, in DBT, or Dialectical Behavior Therapy, the arts can be introduced as powerful coping skills.
In this article, we will introduce the first module of DBT: Mindfulness, and offer a few skills you can use that work between the power of mindfulness and the arts to help you find balance and relief from painful symptoms of anxiety, trauma, or depression. If you find this helpful, stay tuned–I’m going to be sharing more about using the arts in other aspects of dialectical behavior therapy all month long, working module to module, with the hope that this summer can bring you doorways to bridge inside and outside through creative expression and awareness of the now.
You might think: “I’ve never been one to draw, paint, write poetry, sing, dance, or otherwise creatively express. How could this be helpful to me therapeutically?” You might even think: “Art makes me uncomfortable.” You’re not alone.
Take heart, there are a lot of skills in DBT and many ways to approach each skill, and if a creative outlet doesn’t feel accessible or comfortable to you, especially in the beginning, there are many other skills you can use. But please know this: you don’t need a lick of talent or skill to heal using the arts, and if you’re suffering and looking for something that can help, mindful artistic practice can get you started immediately.
If you are curious and willing to explore using artistic mediums, you will draw from within throughout the process, not from talent, experience, or technical skill.
Creative arts therapies in relationally-focused DBT are really about touching whatever you see on the inside, what you feel in your heart, or that you’re carrying around on your shoulders, and allowing it to pour out in a new way, outside of traditionally spoken speech. This work becomes an artifact- something you can draw from retroactively to make sense of powerful or overwhelming experiences.
You may be using crayons, paint, clay, or poetic language; what medium you use to create in your choice. Maybe you’re using mindful movement like dance in a way that’s self-aware; maybe it’s makeup or clothing you are planning for the day or the week. Whatever it is, however you decide to get outside of the box and create something new in the world using the material of the deepest places within, remember there’s no contest. That’s because you including the places inside, even the places that scare you, are a kaleidoscope, a unique and moving landscape of sensory experience that, when noticed openly and shared with the world, is always enough, always worthy, always of interest, and not in some primary way in competition with another.
In this way, the arts in DBT can be a doorway home. Read on for more information.
Mindfulness
Have you ever been stopped silent by the sight of stars shining at night? Think about how easy it is to become immersed in the big sky and the twinkling lights, aware of the air and the moment. That’s mindfulness. The sky at night, when it’s clear, offers a particularly accessible way to drop into the present, but you can drop in wherever you are, any time, if you know how. We’ll offer some ideas here to get you started using the arts.
DBT, Mindfulness, & the Arts
The poet Mary Oliver says, “To pay attention, this is our endless and proper work.” This is the work of mindful awareness.
Mindfulness itself is an art: the art of being fully present and engaged in the moment- and you can integrate this practice into your creative expressions to amplify the phenomenological experience and even access layers of emotions you many not have been able to touch before, even though they very much drive your action urges and behavior.
In DBT, Observe, Describe, and Participate are “WHAT” skills to use for anchoring your mindfulness practice. You can enhance your creative practice by inviting these skills in. How to get started?
Observe: Start your day with a simple sketch or doodle of your feelings. It doesn’t have to be an attempt to make or represent anything; just let your hand move freely and see what emerges. This can help you observe your thoughts and emotions without judgment, much like watching fireflies flicker in the dark. Allow, and as you allow, observe. Simple. Give yourself permission and try now, then move to the next step.
Describe: Describe the colors, sounds, and sensations of what you put on the paper (or the digital surface). Try to capture the glow of the stars in your words- you won’t succeed, but all effort is a start, and is the touchpoint that connects us to what’s on the paper, even though words alone won’t ever quite reach it.
“Let everything happen to you: beauty and terror. Just keep going. No feeling is final,” said Rainer Maria Rilke, encouraging us to embrace all sensations and experiences. You can use this wisdom to help you as you sink into the touching and describing of what’s been expressed in your doodles.
Participate: Engage in an art project or dance as if you are one with the activity. Lose yourself in the process, much like dancing under the moonlight, letting go of worries and just being. “Dance, when you’re broken open. Dance, if you’ve torn the bandage off. Dance in the middle of the fighting. Dance in your blood. Dance when you’re perfectly free,” wrote Rumi, reminding us how precious movement can be to finding, being, and sharing ourselves in the world.
More Ways to Bring Mindfulness & Art Together
- Morning Doodles: Spend five minutes each morning drawing whatever comes to mind. This can help set the tone for a mindful day.
- Sensory Poems: Write poems that describe what you see, hear, and feel in the present moment. This practice encourages a deeper connection to your surroundings.
- Mindful Coloring: Use coloring books with intricate designs to focus your mind. The repetitive motion and attention to detail can help calm racing thoughts.
- Nature Journaling: Grab your journal and head outside! Capture the sights, sounds, smells, and textures of your surroundings. Ground yourself in the moment and feel the connection to nature grow.
- Mindful Photography: Take a stroll with your camera or phone, and snap photos of anything that catches your eye. Focus on the details, light, and composition. See the world anew and stay present.
- Found Object Art: Collect nature’s treasures or household items and create art. Let the textures and shapes inspire you as you arrange them into a unique masterpiece.
- Guided Art Meditation: Listen to a guided meditation on creativity or visualization. Then, translate those images and feelings into your own artwork. Feel the relaxation and inspiration flow.
- Sensory Walk and Sketch: Go for a sensory walk and soak in your surroundings. Afterward, sketch or draw something that stood out—a tree, a flower, or a play of light. Capture the essence of the moment.
- Poetry and Breathwork: Pair poetry writing with mindful breathing. Take deep breaths, then let your breath’s rhythm guide you as you pen a poem. Stay centered and connected.
- Texture Exploration: Collect a variety of textured materials—fabric, sandpaper, leaves, etc.—and create a tactile collage. Let your hands and senses lead the way.
- Music and Movement: Turn on some instrumental music and let your body move freely. Express your emotions and thoughts through movement, and feel the tension melt away.
Let us know how these practices went for you! We’d love to hear about your experience.
