Sometimes I’ll pick up my pencil and brushes and do a little painting just for me. For fun, To relax. To unwind. I don’t care how it comes out or about an audience. Drawing and painting is the most relaxing and meditative activity I do.
I once spent an entire sleepless night painting 9 little watercolors. I’d had a failed spinal tap the previous week –They’d hit a nerve root–and, yes it was as bad as it sounds. And I had to go for another one in the morning. Keeping my right brain occupied with painting allowed my left “worrying brain” no operating space. So, though I didn’t sleep, I wasn’t a total wreck in the morning.
I recommend doing some sort of artwork as therapy for anyone who needs to quiet their mind. Here’s some watercolors I did just for me: