Lifting the Clouds: An Exercise for Sadness and Positivity
Sadness is a tender emotion—it slows us down, invites reflection, and often appears when we’ve lost something meaningful. But when sadness lingers, it can blur our sense of hope and connection. Creating art offers a safe way to explore and shift that emotional weight. This simple at-home exercise is designed to validate what you’re feeling, while gently inviting lightness, warmth, and a sense of forward movement.
The Exercise: “Light in the Landscape”
What you need:
- Paper
- A pencil or pen
- Colored pencils, crayons, or watercolor (optional but helpful)
- 15–20 minutes and a quiet space
How to do it:
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Begin by drawing a landscape that matches your mood. It might be rainy, cloudy, empty, or dim. Use simple lines—this isn’t about artistic skill, but about honesty.
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Once the landscape is drawn, take a moment to sit with it. Acknowledge the mood it reflects. Name the feeling, if you can (e.g., “This feels heavy,” or “This feels quiet”).
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Now, gently add a small source of light or warmth into the scene. It could be a rising sun, a lit window in a house, a glowing star, or even a tiny flower.
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Let this symbol of light grow slowly—maybe the sky brightens a little, or color starts spreading. You can add more details that bring a soft sense of life or movement: a path, a bird, a person in the distance.
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Focus on what feels comforting or hopeful. Use warmer or brighter colors if you have them. Let the image evolve naturally—no pressure to force happiness, just let it shift at its own pace.
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As you draw, breathe gently and let your mind rest in the scene. When you're finished, sit with it for a moment and notice any emotional changes, no matter how small.
Why It Works: The Science of Sadness and Visual Expression
This exercise combines emotional validation with gentle cognitive reframing—both important psychological tools for lifting low mood. By drawing the sad landscape first, you give your feelings space to exist without pushing them away. Research shows that naming and visualizing emotions reduces activity in the amygdala, which calms emotional distress (Lieberman et al., 2007).
Introducing a light element activates the prefrontal cortex, which helps with reappraisal—the brain’s ability to see things differently or imagine a better future. This balance between acknowledging the present and allowing for change is key to managing sadness.
The act of adding warmth and light also engages the reward system in the brain. Creating something beautiful or meaningful—even in a small way—can trigger dopamine release, which boosts mood and motivation. Studies in art therapy show that even brief creative sessions increase positive affect and a sense of control (Kaimal et al., 2017).
Finally, the imagery of “light in a dark place” is psychologically powerful. It supports hope-building—a proven protective factor against depression. Even if the light you draw is small, your mind registers the possibility of change, and that’s where healing often begins.
Sadness may come with quiet heaviness, but through art, you can begin to gently reshape the story. A small light on a page can become a soft glow in the heart.
So there you are! Give it a go and let me know! If you're pleased with the outcome, feel free to reach out online and send me a copy, and if you're happy for me to share then let me know, as I'll be creating an online gallery down the line :)
This post is a collaborative effort between AI and myself in order to provide the most up to date information.
