Day 3 - Releasing negative emotions
Processing Your Image
In the previous step, you transferred your feelings into a visual image (and hopefully started to feel better.) Now, we will use some journaling to help you process your image and, in doing so, to process your emotions.
It’s called dialoging with an image. It might seem strange at first but please trust the process. The questions will prompt you to engage with your inner knowing and receive messages that the shapes, images, and colors communicate to you.
It’s a crucial step that will guide you directly into releasing the painful emotions you might be feeling.
Here are some tips on how to stay connected to the deeper part of yourself when engaging in this exercise:
1. Quiet your mind
Take a few deep breaths, feel your body, shift your attention inward, and then start writing when you have a vague sense of something coming up to the surface. Before writing each response, try to quiet your mind and listen for an answer for a few seconds.
2. Write freely and don't edit
Just put the pen to paper and start writing whatever comes to you. Writing by hand, not typing, is important because it engages a different part of the brain. Try the stream of consciousness writing and don’t try to force or overanalyze it. We want to bypass the rational mind. Relax and give it a go.
3. Write from your right brain
As you respond to each question, it might be easy to slip into your verbal, logical mind. Try framing your answers by starting with “I feel” versus “I think the color blue means …..” Whenever you catch yourself writing words like “ I think”, “should”, “could”, “have to” or any other judgmental phrases it’s an indication that your ego is taking a lead. Stop, take a deep breath, go back to your feelings, and start a sentence with an “I feel” statement.
Journaling prompts:
You can write a response to each question in your notebook or directly on your artwork if you choose.
1. In what parts of your body did you feel your emotion?
2. How do you feel when you look at the image?
3. As you look at the image you’ve created, what does it tell you about the emotions you are expressing in this piece?
4. How do you sense this drawing symbolizes your painful emotion?
5. What do the colors in your piece tell you about this emotion?
6. Now, look at the shapes and all the elements in your drawing and describe each of them and what they would tell you about your emotion.
7. If this artwork could speak, what would it tell you about your feelings of shame? What would it say?
8. How did it feel to express this emotion in an image?
9. How does this emotion feel now in your body?
10. What have you learned about your feelings of shame around your patterns from your drawing?
The next step is to transform your artwork and, therefore, your emotional state into a positive and empowering image.
If you feel ready to tackle that now, you can go straight to the next exercise. Or, take a break and reflect on your image and your process so far.