Valkyrie Spring 2019- Issue 3

Happy Little Trees
Story & Design by Kaitlan Koehler, Arts & Music Editor, and Melanie Gonzalez, Asst. Arts & Music Editor
Many people have turned to art as a way to unwind and destress with
fun, mindless tasks. There are many simple artistic pastimes that are easy
to learn and relaxing to do, even if you can’t draw to save your life.
Do you ever feel so overwhelmed with
work and school that you feel like “the
devil out of a paintbrush?” A prime example
of therapeutic art, Bob Ross was and
still is a sensation among a wide audience
who find a calming effect when watching
his videos. Bob Ross’ famous paint-along
videos allow even the most inexperienced
viewers to easily follow along and create
beautiful paintings. Many viewers find
Bob Ross’ calming and supportive nature
refreshing, and he always encouraged his
viewers to adopt a more positive attitude.
Most Bob Ross paintings feature an idyllic
nature scene sporting trees, mountains or
lakes. Although his personality contributed
to the relaxing nature of his tutorials, Bob
Ross showed how art could help us stop to
appreciate the little things and look to the
positive.
Adult coloring books have also become
increasingly popular in recent years. Unlike
the children’s equivalent that usually feature
simple pictures or goofy cartoon characters,
adult coloring books have more complicated
designs. Many books are filled with radial
mandalas and detailed paisleys, but they
can be filled with any designs—from nature
scenes to cats and dogs. According to coloring
research company, ColorIt, adult coloring
is thought to reduce anxiety and stress
and is also sometimes associated with meditation.
Coloring helps reduce distractions,
especially those that come from technology.
In a study published by Nancy Curry and
Tim Kasser in “Art Therapy: Journal of the
American Art Therapy Association,” mandalas
were found to have an especially positive
outcome, as coloring them was shown
to reduce anxiety.
Other art forms people consider therapeutic
are braiding and weaving. While
these are more of a fidgeting pastime, they
can be very relaxing and yield beautiful
results. The colorful plastic box stitches
you may have seen as a kid, called Boondoggles,
may not serve many purposes, but they
are simple and can be made of any combination
of colors. They can be made into
colorful bracelets or keychains. Homemade
bracelets made from paracord rope have
become more popular, too, because they’re
so customizable and can look both stylish
and rustic. Paracord bracelets can also be
unraveled and used for survival. Weaving
Boondoggles and paracord bracelets distracts
your mind from the future with a
simple, repetitive task and helps you focus
on the present.