What is Mindful Art?
My name is Gill and I'm the artist behind Mindful Art, based in Glenrothes, Fife. I originally started painting as a distraction to try and manage a chronic pain condition. I quickly found that after a few hours of losing myself to the endless possibilities of fluid art, that I would leave my studio virtually pain free! I realised that painting was creating an opportunity for me to practice mindfulness and with it, my symptoms were pushed from my focus. I got lost in the movement and the colours, and in creating the chaos that is fluid art, I found calm.
I feel that the technique of fluid art also teaches us about acceptance and expectation these concepts are often the theme of my paintings. Fluid art does not always turn out how it is planned and I have learned that even though plans don't always go the way they are meant to, they can still result in something beautiful. If we only have space in our hearts to accept the things that go as expected, we will miss out on all the beauty created through the things not going to plan.
I started Mindful Art back in 2021 to give me an opportunity to share my art and my story with more people and to try to encourage others to use art and creativity to find calm, the same way that I had. Until recently, I have used Mindful Art to share and sell my own artwork and jewellery on a part-time basis. In 2023, I was blessed with a very long awaited, beautiful little girl. Spending time focusing on my family during my maternity leave and helped me realise how important it is to focus on what you love, and for me that is Mindful Art and my family. In 2024, I have taken the terrifying decision to step away from my career and follow a new path that will allow me to do what I love, whilst having more time to spend with my family.
Over the last 2 years, I have been asked many times if I offer workshops or classes and as much as I have always wanted to, I've never had the time. Now that I have the time, I am so excited to be starting Mindful Art Workshops at various locations across Fife where I will combine the fun of fluid art with the mindfulness it so easily promotes. I'm excited to share my story with more people and hopefully help people to take some time out of their busy lives to find some 'quiet time' with Mindful Art.
I hope that Mindful Art can help people heal, in the same way it has done for me.
Using Art for Wellness
Fluid art has given me so many mental and physical benefits by creating a space to practice mindfulness and allowing me to find some calm amidst the chaos. Now I want to share that with as many people as I can, in the hope that Mindful Art can heal others, in the same way it has healed me.
Mindful Art workshops are focused on providing 'breathing space' by practicing mindfulness in art.
Fluid art is perfect for mindfulness as it encourages us to focus on the flow and movement of the paint and interaction of the colours as the painting develops, keeping us present the moment and creating a calm amidst the chaos.
Mindful Art is a great tool for anyone suffering from Anxiety or Depression or even Chronic Pain. I am personally affected by chronic pain and I have found that using art in mindfulness has greatly helped manage my pain.
This type of artwork is also perfect for those who think 'I'm not very artistic' as the paint does all the hard work for you! And on top of being highly calming and relaxing, it's also a lot of FUN!
At Mindful Art, we combine relaxation and mindfulness with having fun! Class attendees have described feeling calmer, lighter and even energized at the end of the class. I aim for people to leave the class feeling good, no matter how that looks.
Testimonials
“it was so good. Relaxed me, made me smile and I got art that I have hung in my front room because I am so proud of it”.
“Being creative mindfully is one of the best ways to have fun and relax”.
Mindful Art isn't just for grown ups
Mindful Art workshops are currently run for adults only, but why should they have all the fun! Kid mental health is a real hot topic right now and its amazing to see that there are already events and classes being offered using mindfulness to help promote the mental wellbeing of our children. Mindful Art would love to start offering classes for children to show the next generation how easily we can use creativity to aid our own wellbeing, without even really trying to!
How can crowdfunding help me
Any funds that are generously donated will go towards developing and growing the reach of Mindful Art Workshops. At the moment, I am only able to offer one-off workshops focused on very simple techniques. I would love to start to offer block style classes offering a wider variety of techniques and helping people to really get into the habit of practicing mindfulness through art on a more regular basis. A block class would allow me to really teach people the ‘art’ of fluid art and hopefully encourage more people to bring creativity into their own homes. Crowdfunding would allow me to start scheduling these classes and allow me to buy additional equipment that would be needed to teach additional classes and more advanced techniques.
I would also love to bring Mindful Art to the next generation by offering classes to children. Securing additional funding would allow me to bring someone else into the Mindful Art family to help me bring classes to children as well as adults.
Ultimately, I want to bring more opportunities for both adults and children to learn how to use art and creativity to practice mindfulness and help promote their own general wellbeing and mental health. I want to provide more ‘breathing space’ for those who need it, and also those who never knew they needed it.
Please consider donating so that Mindful Art can help heal more people, in the same way that it has helped heal me.