How to use therapeutic art journaling to find yourself again in postpartum
As millennial mothers who’ve received a lot of conditioning around what being a mom is and isn’t, it’s hard to not be overstimulated, fatigued, and distracted. There is zero time for creativity - Doesn’t this all feel defeating, scattered, and overwhelming?
As mothers we ought to be able to take care of ourselves (after all we did birth the humans and take care of the humans) and yet we are so exhausted at the end of the day, it all feels impossible.
Art and creativity (specifically therapeutic art journaling) saved my mental health. Now I know a lot of millennial moms have opinions about art and creativity - many of us had distressing experiences, like primary school art class for example, that lead to the belief that art has to look a certain way or only certain kinds of people do art.
Art journaling revolutionized my ability to cope with the many layers of motherhood.
Here are 4 quick and easy ways you can use therapeutic art journaling to find yourself again postpartum:
Listen to music and write: Research shows that 20 minutes of music listening and/or uncensored writing will boost your mood.
Draw your feelings: Choose one colour to start and make spontaneous marks in your art journal; keep making marks till you feel chill.
Make a spontaneous collage: You only need magazines, glue, scissors and your art journal. Choose pictures and words without thinking about them too much and arrange them in a way that makes sense.
End your day with a quick meditation and a sketch: Listen to a meditation inside the Visualization Vault from The Motherload and make a quick sketch representing how your day went.
You need creativity in your life as a mother because it helps with:
Emotional regulation
Stopping perfectionist tendencies before they get out of control.
Adjusting your expectations
Practicing real self-care and presence
Here is my story about how art journaling saved my life: When I was six months into my first postpartum, I registered for an art journal class at a local art studio.
I have used creativity for healing for as long as I can remember. As a teenager I would collage magazines in my basement room, write poetry in the margins of my homework, and create word art in my spares.
I didn't know it then, but I was trying to leverage creativity for my mental health. I've had intrusive thoughts and compulsions/impulsivity for as long as I can remember. Specifically, between seventh grade and university, I battled with intrusive thoughts and self-harming behaviour.
When I was pregnant, no one told me there were risk factors for developing depression or anxiety postpartum, and a significant contributing factor is having previous lived experiences with mental health.
It turns out I had a few risk factors and flew under the radar for postpartum mood and anxiety disorders for 2 years. Looking back, it the anxiety/OCD started very shortly after bringing my son home.
So, circling back to that art class I signed up for 6m postpartum, I knew something wasn't right, but I couldn't put my finger on it, and I had been feeling off for weeks. I turned to what I knew was a mood-boosting tool - creativity. There weren't enough registrations to run the class - insert uncontrollable crying and rage.
I completely disconnected from myself in postpartum, and my thoughts were telling me that:
I was not worthy if I was not fulfilling the role of dutiful housewife, while doing everything I could to prevent raising a human sociopath.
I couldn't be artistic or creative and a mom.
Sleep and routines needed to be perfected.
Productivity trumped everything else.
I didn’t have time for collaging, journaling, or expressing myself in any way, shape or form.
Scrolling and researching was a good use of my time.
When that art class was cancelled at 6m postpartum, two things happened:
I realized that I had to stop just watching videos of creativity and I needed to use scissors and glue again.
I had to find my way back to myself because no one else was going to do it for me.
I continued to watch art journal videos and collect pictures of other people's art journals on my Pinterest for 18 more months.
When my son was two, I went to Calgary for 10 days and trained in expressive art therapy, and being there healed my postpartum distress. I was surrounded by a group of women for 10 days. 10 hours from my family and who I thought I needed to be for them.
That time away and the therapeutic art I did every day completely revolutionized my motherhood experience. I found myself again. As an added bonus, a piece of our homework between April and September was weekly art journaling lasting at least an hour, and we had to prove it, so I had an accountability plan.
And the rest is history, that homework (and all of my hands-on healing and training in expressive art therapy) turned into a regular creative practice that is nonnegotiable in my motherhood, and it brings me back to myself every time.
In closing, remember: you are worth every minute and dollar you must spend on yourself to feel like yourself again.
I've helped 100s of women to use art as therapy to be chill moms.
Therapeutic art journaling is amazing because it's backed by research - and I've lived it.
I know you can prioritize your needs, be creative, and be a chill mom (even in postpartum with a baby on your hip)!
Mama, there’s still time for you to find your chill (yes even with a baby on your hip).
1. Decide online course OR art as therapy session?
Which is a better fit for your time and budget? You already know what you need.
2. Sign up + Learn the secrets to more chill
Learn the simple emotional regulation skills you can use while nap-trapped.
3. Be a CHILL newborn mom
Process and regulate your emotions before they get too big and stop using screens to avoid important things!
