Okay, I’m not the best poet in the Pacific but what I just wrote is true. Art is therapy. And, ahh, roses are red. All true!
The past year and a half have been trying times as we adapt to pandemonium. During this pandemic, however, many have sought ways to cope (or perhaps they just had too much time on their hands, which they never had before) and found something artistic they considered to be therapeutic.
Let me list a few: photography, floral designing, culinary arts, sculpting, landscaping/gardening, writing, music, drama/performance art, meme-making and video editing, among others.
Art is in everything. It’s in the symmetry of the fabulous floral bouquet. It’s in the colors of the delectable cuisine, complementary like the colors in the color wheel. Not to mention the art of plating and perfect presentation. It’s in the movement of the dancer and the voice of the singer. And so forth.
If you haven’t found your art therapy yet, I’d like to encourage you to dabble in the many forms of art. Pick up a pen and paper and draw. “But Donna, I can’t draw!” you might say. Baby steps. Let’s start with dots. Grab some markers and dot, dot, dot. Outline a coconut tree.
Vincent Van Gogh and Georges Seurat dotted their way down in history.
Dotted art was popular between the 1800s and early 1900s. According to history.com, during that time, there were three pandemics: the Third Plague pandemic, Fiji measles pandemic and the Russian flu.
Do you have a smartphone? Well, of course, you do! Who doesn’t these days?! Pull it out and click on the camera icon. Start taking photos. Start out with an object. Or a person. Just start snapping. I especially love sunsets and starfish photos. This is my form of therapy, too. If you see me on Tumon Bay, be sure to wave.
Recently, I got to hike with a fellow Chamorrita from Guam, Layla Villagomez. She is a self-taught photographer. Her photography art is displayed at military bases. During our hikes, I got to witness her at work. She has an eye for angles and her photographic perspective is phenomenal.
“It has been therapeutic for my anxieties,” Layla said, referring to photography. “Capture God’s beauty instead of worrying…Being grateful instead of living in fear.”
I pray you come to see the opportunity to grow in the arts for Art is Therapy. I’d love to know what art form you discovered during this pandemic that helped you to cope or pass the time. Please email me your story at guamartgallery@gmail.com
Donna Hope Blas is a restoration and 3D artist. She is the co-owner of The Guam Gallery of Art at the Chamorro Village. Donna is not a therapist of any kind but she loves a good cup of coffee and conversation. Send feedback to guamartgallery@gmail.com
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