Nothing feels significant enough to paint. The thought of untangling all of my crochet yarn leaves me static. Writing is the last thing my brain is capable of. But enter vent art: the creative outlet that doesn’t rely on creativity.
‘Vent art’, a self-explanatory term used to describe creating a piece of art through venting, is an activity that has nothing to do with aesthetics, and everything to do with emotion. It’s an art form wholly reliant on channeling your feelings when you don’t know where to put them. And here’s 5 reasons why you should explore it.
Vent art can be physical – express your emotions through a pen or a paintbrush and scribble, whether aggressively or calmly. Are you angry? Take it all out on the piece of paper; cross-hatch, press hard with your hand, or create long winding lines, it doesn’t matter. The physical aspect of connecting with your emotions and conveying them through your pen provides a release and a visualisation of how you’re feeling, providing catharsis, and the spontaneity and flow of the creation can encourage a takeover from your subconscious mind… What could you discover?
The abstraction that embodies vent art releases any kind of judgement or encourages liberation. There are no boundaries. Whether you decide to scribble on a piece of paper or expand on a therapy exercise and draw a comic of a situation that made you upset, there are no constraints of wider judgement or a pressure of perfectionism.
Translating your emotions into a piece of art is a powerful tool of vulnerability, because of the creative freedom and the outlet unbridled by perfectionism. Writing down your feelings, despite being useful and therapeutic, can make us feel too precious and start to worry about whether what we’re writing makes sense, or can sometimes feel too energetic when our minds are racing faster than our hands. Vulnerability is a cornerstone of emotional healing, allowing for the creative process to be even more meaningful.
Sometimes ‘mindfulness’ can feel like an oversaturated word, especially when it comes to people struggling with their mental health; it can be easier said than done. But when it comes to vent art, the dwelling you have on your emotions to connect and then channel them into a piece of art, or a few scribbles, shifts your brain into focusing on the present. How do you feel right this second? How do you want to treat this piece of paper in a way that makes you feel relief? This exercise engages, and works wonders for your mental clarity.
The confrontation of your feelings will allow your brain to process them and pick them apart manageably, halting the spiralling and developing a coping strategy to stick into your wellness toolbox to use whenever you need it. And after you’ve finished your piece of art, whether you hang it up on the wall or chuck it in the bin, the sense of accomplishment is unbeatable… and so is the improved mood.
