Starting the process
By March 2020, the media was relaying nerve wrecking news about the uncertainty, wrath and destruction that Covid-19 was unfurling in every corner of the world. Needless to say, it was paralyzing us with fear, anxiety, restlessness and stress. To cope with our changing routine, lockdowns, rising disorientation I turned towards art which has been my anchor. I launched on a 💯 days project to create art every day for 100 days. I chose to work with water colors and turned to nature for inspiration. It felt daunting in the beginning, but dove into it, promising myself to “just enjoy the process”.
This activity paired with nature exploration worked like magic. While enjoying walks outdoor, I noticed every change with the arrival of spring and started documenting this transition of “the melting of winter into the warmth of spring”. A miraculous transformation of bare branches, hard ground sprouting promise of crocus, daffodils, snowdrops, pansies, tulips and magnolias. All peeping out from mother Earth after a long, restful sleep. Fills one with humility and hope. We could easily miss these moments if we were not paying attention.
Gradually, I noticed my energy shift, feeling lighter, purposeful and more deliberate as I went about doing each day’s artwork. Seeing the colors poured, splashed, dribbled on paper, I felt healed in letting go of the anxiousness and rigidity. I invited more of these positive feelings and created a consistent routine as the artwork grew into more than 100 pieces of artwork.
This project has reaffirmed my confidence in art-making as a process in healing and dealing with many stressors in our lives. In the near future, I hope to work with others in distress and use art therapy to address the rising stresses in their lives. I am aware of these challenges in the community and hope to collaborate with community centers and institutions that share a commitment to art therapy. My recent launch into NYU’s Art Therapy program has been a step towards this dream. I created a book as a mobile project to consolidate all my artwork. This book may bring joy to others and inspire others to try something new. I also want to be able to multiply the effect of art as a therapy! This is an invitation to everyone to grow and regenerate by harnessing the power of creativity that is within each of us.
You can click here for a glimpse of the 100 paintings :)
https://plus.smilebox.com/play?g=5fec3688-342b-409e-8763-937c3f5bd3fb