Prayerful and Fun Fingerpainting

Creative activities lower our stress hormones, blood pressure, and heart rate. Even the simplest creative activities like coloring a children’s coloring book, doodling, and playing with modeling clay are effective in calming racing thoughts, grounding us in the present moment, and distracting us from painful memories. Painting with acrylic paints on canvas panels is my favorite artistic activity. And painting with my fingers was my most effective self-soothing and grounding skill. Using my fingers instead of a paintbrush added a tactile experience and increased my engagement with the creative process. Give it a try… the benefits are worth the mess!

Alizarin Crimson acrylic paint gentle finger painted into a layer of white paint on a small stretched canvas.

Metallic and white acrylic paints swirled together on black cardstock