Bridge Drawing

 Instructions from the book: 

1 . Use a pencil to sketch your bridge on the paper. To the left of the bridge, include imagery of what you’re leaving. On the right, identify where you are headed. Under the bridge, draw obstacles you have
encountered along the way.
2 . Using the paint, color in your artwork.
3 . Add yourself to the image. Where are you on this bridge and in this journey? You can indicate your location by adding a dot, a stick figure, or any other symbol you choose to represent yourself.

 

 Questions for Discussion:
· What has prevented you from overcoming the challenges you identified so far?
· How significant are these challenges?
· What are five steps that you can take to overcome these challenges?

 I drew water under the bridge as a symbol of my emotional life. Come to think of it, I was the only one  standing in my way during all this time. Overcoming the problems connected to my emotions might require therapy, establishing a good support system, fostering positive emotions, being honest about what I want and having the courage to go get it and doing more creative work.

Past, Present and Future Images

 Instructions from the book: 

 
1 . On the paper, draw 2 overlapping circles so that you create 3 sections.
2 . Starting from the left, label these 3 sections as past, present, and future.
3 . Glue photos from your past in the past section. (If you don’t want t glue your original images, you could use copies instead.)
4 . Glue recent photos in the present section.
5 . Cut images from the magazines that represent the future you wish to manifest.
6 . Glue your future images in the future section.

 

 

 

 

 

 Questions for Discussion:
· Were you able to find meaningful connections between various periods in your life?
· At any time in creating this art, did powerful emotions overcome you? What were those emotions?

 

I had to adapt and did this exercise with a twist as you can see. I used the metaphor of the rose and documented my life accordingly. I think the future holds decay even if I don't wish it to manifest. Such is the life of humans and flowers. I tried to think of myself as different from my childhood but with a stable character as I grew older. The main emotion I felt doing this exercise was sadness as my sense of reality indicated I, too, was born to perish.

 

 

Garden of Self

 Instructions from the book: 

1 . Take five minutes to imagine a garden of self as a metaphor. The healthy plants represent your positive strengths and attributes, the seeds represent your goals, and the weeds represent the issues or problems that prevent you from reaching your goals.
2 . Using markers and oil pastels, draw your positive strengths as healthy plants.
3 . Draw the goals that you want to achieve as seeds (or sprouting plants).
4 . Draw weeds to represent what could prevent you from achieving your goals.
5 . Add other details needed to tend to your garden. 

 

 Questions for Discussion:
· How would you describe your garden’s plants, seeds, and weeds?
· What are some ways that you can maintain your garden?
· What are the next steps to get rid of the weeds and nurture the seeds in your life?

My garden has plants and weeds, not seeds. It seems I don't live my life according to goals, I just live. Ways in which I could maintain my garden is to take care of my plants and get rid of the weeds. This would translate in focusing on my strengths and eliminating frustration from my life. I could get rid of frustration by knowing what brings me pleasure and joy and doing just that. 

Emotional Landscape

 Instructions from the book: 

 1 . Sit for five minutes and evaluate your current state of mind. Consider what feelings and emotions are with you at this moment. Think of a landscape that would visually represent your current mood. Feel free to find images in books or on the Internet to inspire you.
2 . On the paper, use a pencil to sketch the landscape you’ve visualized.
3 . With a paintbrush, use the watercolors to add blocks of color to your landscape. You can choose to dip your paintbrush in the water to change colors, or to make a particular color lighter or darker.
4 . Give your artwork a title.

 

 When you're tired of everyone's (bull)shit.

 

 Questions for Discussion:
· Does your painting speak to the emotions you’re feeling at this moment?
· How long have you been feeling this way?
· If you could shrink in size and jump into your painting, where would you land in the image?
· Is there a message in your painting?

I am feeling I should get away somewhere in nature far from the crowd. Everything about this landscape screams solitude. You would find me in the house cooking and then looking through the window to admire the landscape.

Visual Metaphor of Your Life

Instructions from the book:

1 . Take 15 minutes to reflect on your life. What metaphor represents your current situation?
2 . Sketch a visual representation of your metaphor on the paper with the colored pencils.
3 . Use the watercolors to add more color to your art.

Questions for Discussion:
· What emotions surfaced while painting?
· What feelings are associated with your current experiences in life?
· It’s important to be honest about your feelings in order to feel them and then to release them. Is there another image of how you would like to experience life? Write your thoughts in your journal.

I felt frustrated. I feel like Sisyphus because all of the work I do seems to go unnoticed. Seems like I am working for nothing. There is another image of how I would like to experience life and  I am not going to share it with the world.

Feeling Wheel

 Instructions from the book: 

1 . Using a pencil, draw a large circle on your paper. If you need help drawing a circle, trace a round object. A kitchen bowl is easy to use for this purpose.
2 . Divide the circle into eight triangles (like a pie).
3 . On the edge of each triangle, write a feeling. When you’re done, you should have eight triangles with eight feelings written at the top of each triangle.
4 . Choose a color that you closely associate with the feeling you have written, and color in the triangle with a combination of colored pencils and oil pastels. Be sure not to color over the feeling you’ve listed. Do this for each of the eight triangles.

 

 Questions for Discussion:
· Which feelings did you write down first?
· Which feelings are you currently experiencing?
· Did you color any two emotions the same color? If you did, what does this mean to you?
· Are there more positive emotions or negative ones on your Feeling Wheel?

I first drew sadness because I am currently experiencing it. I tried to have one color for one feeling. Blue and red make purple and red and yellow make orange. I have more negative emotions on my feeling wheel. 

Animal Guides

Instructions from the book: 

1 . Take some time to choose three animals. The first animal should represent you physically (how you move or look), the second animal should represent you emotionally (how you feel), and the last animal should represent you cognitively (how you think).
2 . Use the pencil to draw the three animals on a of sheet paper. Don’t get wrapped up in trying to draw the animals perfectly. Be creative and draw the animals as you see or feel fit. If you need help, try using an image of the animal for inspiration.
3 . Add the environments in which the animals live (mountains, valley, jungle, house, zoo, etc.). Multiple habitats can be captured on the same sheet of paper.
4 . Now that your pencil sketch is complete, trace over the pencil lines with the black pen.

 5 . Use the colored pencils to color in the image.

Questions for Discussion:
· Discuss each animal’s strengths. How do their strengths relate to you?
· How can you use these strengths to help cope with a life situation?
· How can the animals you’ve chosen live together?

I did the minimum amount of work. I only drew the environment for one animal and did not color them because I felt lazy. The first animal is a walrus. Its strength is physical. Another one would be the fact that it's not a solitary animal. The second one is a spider trapped in a jar. The spider is a skillful creator. The third animal is an owl, a bird of prey who can see in the dark. It is a symbol of wisdom. I can be like these three animals by choosing not to isolate, creating and learning more. These animals could live together in a zoo.

 

 

 

Something You're Proud Of in Yourself

 Instructions: draw something you're proud of in yourself.

 

 

I, too, can channel my inner psychopath through cynicism.

What’s Your Name?

 Instructions from the book: 

1 . Using block letters, write your name in any color on your paper from left to right.
2 . Think of a positive word that has the same first letter as your name. Add this word to your drawing in any location on the paper.
3 . Pick your favorite colors and create a design inside the letters of your name.

 

 

Feeling Identification

 Instructions from the book: 

1.  Choose a color that reflects how you’re feeling today.
2 . Draw a circle with that color.
3 . In that circle, use lines and shapes to draw an image or images to identify how you’re feeling today.
4 . Name your art.

 

                                                                    Pretty messed up

Prescription for Happiness

Instructions: write a prescription for happiness. 

 

 

Saying "No"

Instructions: Write the word "No" on paper. Then surround the word "No" with images that represent strength, power and being in control. 

 

 

Discussion: Explore the benefits of being assertive. Examine the differences between being assertive, aggressive, and passive aggressive. Discuss how saying “No” allows for increased self esteem and greater psychological growth. Discuss the importance of boundary and limit setting.

 

Being assertive means you get to protect both your rights and the rights of others. You get rid of a lot of frustration and ensure you get the results and relationships you want. Being aggressive might get you into trouble and being passive aggressive might terminate a lot of relationships and fill you with anger. I think psychological boundaries should be enforced as a way to make sure you get the life you imagined. Should people not respect those boundaries, feel free to find people who do. Limit setting is essential to good mental health and living a good life. 

Artistic Photo with Narrative

 Instructions from the book: 

1 . Go outside and look for an object or scene that captures how you currently feel.
2 . Take a few photos of that image.
3 . Title each of your photographs.
4 . Print your images (optional).
5 . Sit down and write a narrative on the paper about your photographs and the feelings the images evoked in you.

 

                                                           ¨Ye shall know them by their fruits.¨

I've always been curious about how you can tell a bad man from a good one and this quote from the Bible. I took this photo because I felt like I bore fruit, a lot of fruit from what you can tell from the picture. It's not yet ripe and I think it will be good. So I felt proud. However these days it is so easy to steal the fruit of another that it seems impossible to tell the good guys from the bad, the false prophets from the good ones. Sigh.
 

Photo Nature Therapy Walk

Intructions: go for a 30 minute walk in nature. Photograph whatever visually interests you and evokes an emotion.

 

 

the place

 

the flower clock

 

 

                                                                      the gathering spot

                                                                              the fountain

                                                                   the playful cat in the grass

 

                                                                              the crow

                                                                   the much needed support

                                                                     the destruction instinct

                                                                the streets are filled with roses

                                                                       something on the side

My greatest delight today was seeing a completely white cat and a completely black cat. I thought it was very Yin-Yang and Kusturica-like.

 

Inner Child

Instructions from the book: . 

1. Remember yourself as a preteen. What did you like to wear? Who did you pretend to be? What were your favorite things to do, eat, and play?
2 . Use your non-dominant hand to write a letter from your eight-year-old self to yourself today. What would you like to tell your adult self?

 

1. As a child I was quiet, obstinate and sometimes aggressive. After I left the group of children who played on my street I would play by myself, read stories and fairy tales, draw, paint, watch cartoons in Italian and English and humiliate my desk mate for being grose. I didn't like to wear skirts, I pretended to cook mud and give people grapes as medicine. 

2. Dear Sabina. People are fucked up. You are going to learn this when you are older. Keep creating in order to not be as fucked up as them. Eat healthy, choose your friends carefully,  exercise, devour books and comedy, be grateful for what you have, do what you enjoy. Life can be simple if you put your mind to it. Take care, your older Sabina.

 

Questions for Discussion:
· What message does your inner child want to tell you?
· Are you giving yourself time to play as an adult?
· If your inner child is in need of healing, what do they want to experience?

 

My inner child is trying to tell me to be more assertive. I have enough time to play as an adult: I am doing it right now. My inner child wants to experience happiness, a real moment of joy. 

Photo Collage

 Instructions from the book: 

1 . Gather your photos. Review them and choose a handful that represents your interest, favorite art, positive memories, and important places and people. Print the selected photos.
2 . Arrange your photos in a way that is most pleasing to you. Glue them to the poster board.
3 . After your collage is complete, look at it as a total piece of art. Reflect on the positive emotions you feel after creating the art.

 

 Questions for Discussion:

· Who is the one person you would like to share this art with?
· Why did you choose that person?

 

I did this exercise with a twist. I used PhotoScape to make a digital collage of the things I like. It's for all my copycats to see so they can impersonate me truthfully. 

Levels of Anxiety

Instructions from the book: 

1 . Take a photo of an image that represents mild anxiety (for example, drinking too much coffee).
2 . Take a photo of an image that represents moderate anxiety (for example, being late to an appointment).
3 . Take a photo representing severe anxiety (for example, being trapped in an elevator).

 

 

Questions for Discussion:

· What are the differences among your photos?
· What are the similarities?
· How can you prevent future anxiety from happening?

Differences: The first photo deals with something minor like worrying I might be drinking too much coffee, the second deals with the fear that my creations might be erased with my support, the third deals with what I fear the world will come to. Similarities: they all represent habits of mine. Anxiety can be prevented by drinking less coffee and changing the way I think about things. 

Three Portraits of You

 Instructions from the book: 

1 . Take a photo of how you see yourself.
2 . Take a photo of how you think others see you.
3 . Take a photo of how you would like to be seen.

 

 Questions for Discussion:

· Which portrait was the easiest to create? Which one was the most difficult?
· Do you see any similarities between the portraits?
· What are the differences between the three?

All portraits were easy to create, as I took photos of what first came to mind. There are no similarities between the portraits. One is about my self-deprecating humour, associating with Cousin It, the second is what I think I project unto the world judging from some comments I received and refers to my sexual self, while the third refers to my intellectual self. 

Embracing Your Strengths

Instructions from the book: write down one amazing experience that you have had. Next write down all the positive qualities that you possess.

 

One amazing experience that I've had was presenting my end-of-studies paper and getting a 9 on it instead of the 6 I thought I would get. It made me feel happy and helped me gain confidence in myself. 

My positive qualities: intelligent, with a sense of humour, creative, curious, mellow, laid-back, cheerful in the presence of good friends, perceptive, sagacious, disruptive.

 

Getting Clear

Instructions from the book: complete the following writing prompts.

 

 

I want happiness and money.

I need food, water, a roof over my head, true friends and family.

I hope for the best.

I expect the best.

I fear pain and suffering and poverty.

I wish I were happy, successful and rich.

I am me.

I love myself.

Retelling Your Story

Instructions from the book: write about a traumatic event.

 

I remember my first so-called date with my first ex. I was running a bit late and I got a call from him asking me where I was. I should have identified that as a red flag and stop things right then and there. I soldiered on and we had a bland date. He asked me whether I was a virgin and I revealed to him that he was going to be the one that kissed me for the first time. I remember feeling terrified with all this new experience of going out. He invited me to his house where he would tell me how beautiful I was and all sorts of dry things. He would suggest going to his place when things got hotter between the two of us even if we were in our second week of dating. From the first dates he would constantly tell me about how he had been cheated on by his ex, how she was talented but stupid, he would show me pictures of the two of them, he would say he called artists only those with formal training, he would smoothly ask me rhetorical questions like "Why do you ask naive questions?", he would tell me to wear skirts and insist on the fact that he preferred the natural color of my hair, not the purple I used to dye it in. I gave him some drawings of mine, he did not mention any opinion on them. He would tell me to get a job and I started to search for one wanting to gain his affection and thinking there was something wrong with me living my life the way I wanted to. He broke up with me arguing that he had to put in too much work. When we met to discuss the relationship he said sorry because I had been one of his victims and told me to wake up. After he left I started crying and telling my so-called friend how much I hated him. 

Cruelty is everywhere. Cruelty in this individual was evident. Somehow something protected me from it. This relationship was a traumatic event because I found out years later that one of my college mates was friends with him. I was just fresh meat to them. Someone who gets prayed upon. He would use all the basics in trying to sleep with me. He took away my joy and left me filled with self-doubt and sadness. Jerks and sexual predators do that to you. Thinking back I congratulate myself for bringing out the sadist in me while we were dating. Fight fire with fire that's what they say. Currently I don't give a damn of what he revealed about me or of what he thinks of me. He's doing well, karma didn't get him. Yet.

Bringing In / Letting Go

 

The Gist

It's clear I am dealing with depression, anxiety and perhaps PTSD. So I've searched far and wide for a book that would help me. I've come across a book and a blog with art therapy exercises. This blog is how I will share with you my answers to the respective exercises. Hope you like it and try the exercises for yourself. Cheers.