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June 07, 2006
Doodle Therapy
There are many ways to reduce stress and deal with anxiety. Different people find different ways cope with the strain of modern day living.
While keeping a young girl company during her end of life journey a number of years ago, I discovered something that really helps me. I call it Doodle Therapy.
Audrey was a great little six year old with cancer. We spent a lot of time during her treatment writing in our journals. I would sit with her at the hospital to relieve her mother while she went home to get a change of clothing or to buy Audrey a 'real' hamburger. (Anything to get Audrey to eat at the time.)
We found that stream of consciousness doodling it our journals made us both feel really good. The only other thing I can liken the experience to is the feeling I get from the release of endorphins when I exercise really hard. Audrey and I would sit for long stretches of time making squiggles and periodically looking up and smiling at each other.
I was present her bedside when Audrey died and the first thing I did after saying goodbye to her was to stop in at the sweet little chapel at Brackenridge hospital where I wrote a goodbye note to her. It really helped me to express the feelings I was experiencing at that moment.
I did the same when I felt so angry about my father's death. It was amazing how soothing it was to release my anger onto the page with heavy scribbles and an array of questionable words.
Just yesterday I found peace and comfort in my journal as I doodled while thinking about Tatum, a young friend who died recently.
For some reason, letting your hand find its own way on paper is very relaxing and satisfying.
My young art student Ashlyn has found the same to be true. Ashlyn has had many operations to repair his cleft palate. He is dyslexic (like I am) and sometimes arrives here at the studio rather wound up and upset about how he is often treated by other kids at school. (It's actually quite sad how cruel kids can be.)
It's amazing how Ashlyn's stress and bottled-up emotions drain from his body when we sit and doodle together while discussing the meaning of life.
You don't have to be an artist to get the benefits of doodling though. Just find a blank piece of paper and let your emotions flow through your pen.
Scribbles, words, stick figures, patterns, dots, squares, circles. It does not matter what form the doodle takes. You can even use markers, crayons or paints to color the doodles after you have done them. I'm sure you remember how wonderful and pleasant it was to color in when you were a child.
Well, it still can be.
Posted by trevor at June 7, 2006 01:26 PM
Comments
blessed be your journey on the page.
i agree.
:)
Posted by: Leonie at June 13, 2006 05:01 PM
I often transfer my emotions into a poem, and it always help me to release whatever that caught my emotions on that moments.
You've been a blessings!
Thanks^@^
Posted by: Felix Chai at June 14, 2006 02:21 AM