When art eases pain

PF from south Wales has found better pain management through ‘Diamond Art.’

I want to tell you about the new way I’ve found to help me with my pain management. This is through the process of doing ‘Diamond Art, (DA).

I have in the past been artistically active using various mediums of paint (watercolour & acrylic), charcoal, pen, oil pastels & dry pastels, all of which need mental energy for creativity as well as physical energy for the application.

I have found myself, in the last couple of years, unable to be creative in any way & colouring by numbers isn’t my thing. I cannot colour in from pre-printed forms as I find the lines too thick, which spoil the end result, or the lines are so fine I can’t see them!

However recently in the last six months I tried my hand at ‘Diamond Art.’ I like to refer to it simply as DA.

Create a Diamond painting by affixing vibrantly coloured resin rhinestones to a self-adhesive canvas with a diamond art kit

To those who aren’t familiar with DA, you can purchase a pack costing from £1.99 to £50, which will consist of:

• a pre-printed, slightly gummy canvas. Different sizes are available & the gummy element is a glue for beads to be attached to the canvas.
• a range of coloured beads specifically for each canvas, possibly from 23 – 38 different colours. The colours are coded into the canvas print. The greater the number of colours, the more difficult it becomes, along with the complexity of the canvas print & size you choose.
• you are also supplied sometimes with other items which usually include a type of stylus similar to a pen with which you apply the beads to the canvas.

This activity is good for beginners & those who enjoy more complexity with a higher skill level. A kind person gifted me a pack so I could try my hand at it.

I admit I struggled to cope with the codes & stickiness of the canvas for a while, as my eyesight & brain fog do hinder me, as well as needing physical effort.

However, I just spent some time looking at it all before doing anything, to get my head around the codes which usually consist of numbers ranging from 1 – 9, alphabetical letters & some symbols relating to each small bag of beads.

A helpful trick I found was if I wrote the correct code with permanent ink on each pack of coloured beads, before I began to apply the beads to the canvas, this helped me visually and with my cognitive issues & brain fog. There are canvases with a range of complexity – simple to complex –  to suit every cognitive experience.

I found myself in a state of calm

Amazingly as I progressed through my first canvas, I found myself in a state of calm. I just focused on the process of applying the beads to the canvas whilst other forms of anxiety & my chronic pain went to the back of my mind. This calmness was amplified within me as I found the range of colours a form of colour therapy where certain colours can lift you towards a happier state of mind, just as art used to do for me.

The different type of processes between DA and other forms of Art  means I find the former so much easier. Art requires so much creative energy. In DA it is not needed. So much so, I have written this article in hope someone may find it helpful in their pain management. I hope you do find it helps, given time to overcome the initial learning curve of the codes. Please pass on what can be ‘good news!’

Please note: I do not receive any promotions or gifts, etc from persons or companies in regards to DA.

More information:

Wiki How: How to Diamond Paint 

More articles by PF:

Pacing my way through Pain Clinic

WAMES is always keen to hear stories of what helps you. Contact the jan@wames.org.uk or complete a contact form.