Calming Colors: Accessible Self-Care

Calming Colors is the first part in BARCC’s Accessible Self-Care series. These self-care practices meet the person where they are, offering flexible support that can be personalized to their individual needs and circumstances. Accessible self-care is essential because it recognizes that everyone deserves the opportunity to find comfort, no matter their resources, abilities, or experience.

Calming Colors

This activity encourages self-care, mindfulness, and letting go of perfectionism. During this exercise, you’ll create a drawing or painting using only colors and shades that feel calming to you. Let the patterns, lines, shapes, and textures express the calmness you feel, or wish to feel. Remember, this is not about creating a masterpiece! This act of self-care is all about the process of taking time for yourself. Below you’ll find steps to guide you through this exercise.

Materials Suggestions

Surface: Paper, canvas, or board
Media: Paint, pastel, colored pencil, marker, watercolor, digital
Marking Tools: Brushes, palette, water, fingers and hands
Cleaning Tools: Tissues, paper towel

Steps to Ground You

Follow these steps as you create your art and practice self-care. If you find yourself growing stressed or upset, remind yourself that there is no way to fail this activity.

1. Get comfortable. Take a few deep breaths and feel your body connected to the present moment.
2. Set an intention to be open to this activity. Remind yourself, outloud, “I offer myself care and calm. There is no way to fail this activity.”
3. Take a moment to notice the details of your Materials. Try to feel gratitude for this beautiful paper, for these wonderful tools, for this opportunity to create something just for you.
4. Look patiently at your Media (crayons, markers, paint). Notice which colors feel most calming or relaxing.
   1. Tip: If this is challenging, one trick is to think of places, items, or activities that are calming. What colors do you imagine when you think of them?
5. Notice your marking Tools. Think about what marks they can make that may represent calm and relaxation. Imagine lines, shapes, textures, and tones that feel soothing.
6. Notice your Media and think of how bright, muted, dark, light, faint or vivid they will be. Think of how smooth, scratchy, flat, sharp, or fuzzy
7. Use your Tools to mark your surface. Illustrate the lines, patterns, and shapes that you imagined. Notice the way that you’re making your marks.
   1. Tip: The motion you make when drawing or painting may reflect whether the marks you make feel calming. (fast scribbling vs. gentle strokes)
8. Take your time to notice each marking. Reflect on how you feel after each choice.
9. If you notice frustration or critique; take a deep breath and breathe out any negative self-talk.
10. Breath in grace and gentle feelings towards yourself and your art.
11. Ask yourself, what can I add that will feel even more soothing? Remember this is about the process not the product.
12. When finished, take time to be still, breathe, and observe your art.

Why It Matters

This activity isn’t about the finished product, it’s about the process of reconnecting with yourself. By intentionally setting aside time to create art without judgment, you offer yourself care and a reminder that rest is essential, and achievable.
At BARCC, we recognize the power of self-care. Taking time to breathe, reflect, and create can help us all navigate challenges we face. Try Calming Colors today. Let it be a gentle reminder that you deserve care.