Since the war started, I’ve been painting almost everyday. It helps calm me, and I love sharing this experience with others.
Before Shabbat, I was sitting at an outdoor mall with my husband and younger kids, and I took out the paint supplies.
We used a fun method where we take turns passing around the brush, adding to the painting one person at a time.
A girl nearby was watching us. I asked her if she wanted to try. She nodded. We gave her the brush, watercolor palette and a piece of paper. She painted blissfully as her parents watched, smiling and complimenting her.
Last week my 18-year-old son and I were sitting at home. I had the paints out, but he said wouldn’t paint with me. So I just placed the brush into his hand, with the art notebook in front of him.
He slid the wet brush across the page, making a long blue stroke. Then another. Then he chose a different color. For the next half hour he painted as we chatted. He signed his name at the bottom and thanked me for the experience. He said it was so relaxing, and that even in art class in school he doesn’t get the freedom to do something so soothing for the soul.
Last month I did a painting session at a Chabad school, and the rabbi shared that he has witnessed how painting transforms kids and lowers stress levels. A boy was having a hard time at home, he said. At school he was locking himself in the bathroom. No one could get through to him, until they gave him the chance to paint. He sat for more than an hour painting, and was a totally different kid afterward.
I like to use a few different methods, including pour painting. It’s a magic experience watching the colors move, mix and blend to create something unexpected.
It’s not so much about the finished product, but rather the process and the way it heals.
Art, particularly painting, activates the brain’s reward center by releasing dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and positive reinforcement. This gentle process contributes to feelings of happiness and relaxation.
The focused, meditative nature of painting triggers the release of endorphins.
It also enhances neural connectivity and stimulates both the left and right sides of the brain, fostering cognitive flexibility and creative thinking.
Painting allows me to connect more deeply with myself, with G-d, and with others.
While our brave soldiers defend and protect us with guns and tanks…
Paint and prayers are a powerful way to empower women and children, to heal from trauma, and unite families in Israel.
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Branding programs for women
Art, Enlgish, & Writing programs for children & adults
Free therapeutic painting programs for families in Israel
Mindy Morasha 