Resting in a Jungle - Cognitive Behavior Therapy

Hi guys! I'll with the art this time and the second part will be the blog ^^

I wanted to draw something bright and cheerful so I started with some bright pink/purple and yellow. I chose a more gold like yellow, as I prefer it over lemon yellow.

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I've drawn quite a few forests in the past month, so I wanted a more fantasy/ alien jungle look this time. I'm not sure if there are any trees in the real life with spirals, but I've seen a cool green spiral plant photo recently.

I didn't use any reference for this painting, I just had fun with it. I used a few layers to make atmospheric perspective easier. This way I could work on middle and foreground layers separately, adding more details on the go.

Then, I added the character from the Forest Dungeon painting, I'm still figuring out the story, but I know I want it to be about adventures and discovering new places.

Lastly I an extra color pass, I used the want door to select areas and I added some contrasting brush strokes. Without this step the drawing looks somewhat sterile. This way there are several accents that catch the attention and keep the viewer looking for more details longer.

Cognitive Behavior Therapy

Last month I got back into reading and doing CBT- cognitive behavior therapy. From my experience it's one of the most effective self improvement techniques, developed by psychologists. Another cool part is that you can work on it on your own with a help of a good book. Last year I did the The Anxiety Workbook and this year I'm doing the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Made Simple. I say doing because these are exercise plans, just reading the books won't be nearly as effective as practicing and writing things down. I got these books on Humble bundle, usually around New Years (and a few other times) they sell various self help book bundles for relatively cheap.

I'm sharing this because CBT has helped me tremendously and the techniques work on all kinds of worries and issues, it even has a positive effect on self confidence. The big part of the work plan is identifying the troubling thoughts and analyzing them, this may sound simplistic, but often the hard past is identifying what really troubles us. Another cool thing about this therapy is that you don't have to relive any traumas or problems from the past, to deal with your current way of thinking. My one problem is that it requires regular practice, it's kind of like brushing teeth really. It takes some time to make it a habit and slip ups happen. However, overall the effort and time is well worth it.

CBT is often recommended for dealing with mental issues (along with prescribed medicine), but it can be just as helpful for anyone dealing with everyday stress.

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Thank you for reading, I hope you found this post helpful and motivating :)