Mindfulness may have become a bit of a buzzword in recent times, and there’s good reason for it. With the pressures of our own lives, and more access to news around the world than ever before, it’s important to give your mind time to breathe.
To be mindful is to stay present in the moment and give your mind a single thing to focus on. Mindfulness is a proven way to reduce stress and anxiety. By learning a new creative skill, you’ll improve your wellbeing and your new talent will be a bonus
At the CAE we offer a wide range of creative pursuits that could lead to a more mindful you.
Art
Art allows you to switch off and enter your own world of creativity. Whether you paint or draw, as soon as you pick up the brush or pencil you can forget any outside stressors in your life and take your mind on a mini vacation.
Once you’re creating beautiful artworks of your own, you’ll have to find something to do with all your masterpieces. The only feeling that beats receiving an amazing present is giving one. What could make for a more special gift than a personalised piece of art?
Photography
Do you have a digital camera that cost you a pretty penny and is now collecting dust? Or a smartphone with a camera you don’t take advantage of?
Whatever camera you have, it could be your ticket to a more mindful you.
When you’re focused on taking photos, your concentration is fixed on your camera and subject. Photography is a great excuse to get outside and explore places and things that you usually wouldn’t. Imagine giving yourself an hour each week to focus on the petals of the flowers in your garden, the birds that fly above you or water rolling on the sand.
Being mindful is about staying in the moment. Your photos will allow you to remember your moments forever.
Tai Chi
Tai Chi is a form of exercise devoted to improving your mental and physical wellbeing.
Tai Chi is like meditation, but with more movement. The movements help stretch, rotate and twist muscles, tendons and ligaments in the body. By stretching and releasing your body, you’ll release the tension that has built up.
The more Tai Chi you do, the more your body will thank you. While it feels like your body is being massaged, when practised regularly, the physical benefits of Tai Chi are comparable to resistance training and brisk walking.
Craft
Keeping a journal is perhaps the most common mindfulness technique. Recording your thoughts and feelings is a very therapeutic exercise and helps keep you motivated on longer-term projects.
What if you took journaling to the next level and wrote in a journal you made? Through the art of Japanese bookbinding, you can create the journal of your dreams to preserve not only your thoughts, but special keepsakes like letters, photos and artworks.
Writing
Journaling doesn’t have to be limited to documenting your own thoughts and feelings. You can harness your emotions and combine them with your imagination to write short stories, poetry, scripts, memoirs or any form of writing your creativity leads you to.
Get your creative juices flowing with our upcoming short courses in art, photography, Tai Chi, craft and textiles, and writing.