Art for relaxation and spiritual reflection
Spiritual reflection and relaxation are two ways that we can look after ourselves using art
Art is invaluable for self-care, for relaxation and refreshment, and as part of spiritual reflection and devotion.
Art for relaxation
As Japan’s state of emergency drew near in 2020, I panicked about how I was going to cope with being cooped up, not meeting people, and not being able to explore.
A colleague suggested I try crochet. I rejected the idea initially. However, my friend encouraged me to try. With nothing to lose, I dashed to the 100 yen shop and grabbed a pretty ball of wool and a crochet hook. So began my somewhat tortuous journey, watching YouTube and doing crochet. Three years on, I’ve finished a number of projects.
Meanwhile, my husband, Peter, decided to teach himself modular origami—origami using more than one piece of paper. YouTube to the rescue again! I’ve lost count of the number of beautiful creations he’s made. Many have found their way to friends and family, and a number decorate our apartment.
Beauty, and therefore art, is initiated and inspired by God. Consider these words, “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good” (Gen. 1:31 NIV). God didn’t make an “adequate” world; he made a beautiful world that was good to look at and to live in.
Moreover, creativity and artistic ability are God-given. I remember my amazement and pleasure when I read about the decoration of the Tabernacle: “Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri . . . and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills—to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of crafts’” (Ex. 31:1–5). The text goes on to describe many beautiful items made by all sorts of people that were dedicated to God for use in the Tabernacle.
We are created in the image of God to appreciate beauty and art and to create it! Therefore, healthy self-care should include art of some kind, either appreciating someone else’s or creating our own.
Neither my husband nor I would describe ourselves as artistic, but these arts have become enjoyable hobbies for us. I wonder what art you enjoy, or could learn to enjoy? Let me encourage you to fill your life with beauty and art for relaxation as part of your care for yourself.
Art for spiritual reflection
“The heavens declare the glory of God” (Ps. 19:1). Because beauty and art are God-inspired and God-given, they can also be used for spiritual reflection. Ann Voskamp writes, “All beauty is only reflection. And whether I am conscious of it or not, any created thing of which I am amazed, it is the glimpse of His face to which I bow down.”1
One method of visually-inspired spiritual reflection is Visio Divina, described as “holy seeing . . . a way to pray with the eyes . . . a way to behold created beauty and lead us to prayer.”2 Visio Divina can be practiced in beautiful surroundings or by using photographs or works of art. It can be done alone or with others.
Find a beautiful scene to look at (even a photograph of one will do), or a work of art, and use the following steps to practice Visio Divina:
- Commit yourself to God in prayer, humbly ask him to reveal himself through his Holy Spirit.
- Look at the image and let your eyes stay with the very first thing that you see. Try to keep your eyes from wandering. Breathe deeply and let yourself gaze at that part of the image for a minute or so.
- Now, gaze at the whole image. Take your time and look at every part. Reflect on the image for a minute or so.
- What responses, emotions, or memories does this image evoke in you? Imagine you are in this scene. What do you see, hear, smell, touch?
- What Scriptures come to mind? Respond to God about what you are seeing and sensing. Pray, and write down your thoughts and prayers if you wish.
May God bless each of us richly through the beauty he has made and the creativity he has given each of us to appreciate and to practice.
1. Ann Voskamp, One Thousand Gifts; quoted in Adele Ahlberg Calhoun, Spiritual Disciplines Handbook, (IVP, 2015), 47.
2. Adele Ahlberg Calhoun, Spiritual Disciplines Handbook, (IVP, 2015), 47.
Images submitted by author