Spiral Drawing

Instructions: Draw a big spiral. Place significant events in your life along the spiral path. 

Discussion: Discussion focuses on “walking the spiral path and telling the story of your life as you stop off at significant points.” Exploring the past helps one to understand better present behavior, actions, and attitudes.

As you can see I was born in the 80s which makes me a millenial. The main events in my life are connected to my academic and work life. It seems I did not have such an interesting life and focused on following in the footsteps of those around me. I chose to focus on the rather positive life events and not on those who caused me misery. At present I am trying to leave my hometown as I feel it is a dead-end of a town filled with losers who are trying to bring me down. 

Draw Youself as a Parent

Instructions: make a drawing that would showcase your parenting skills.

Discussion/Goals: Individuals discuss their role in their family and (especially for seniors) how that role has changed over the years. Strengths, skills, and family relationships may be explored.

Who started as a wonder kid ended up the black sheep of the family.

Draw Yourself Assertive

Instructions: draw yourself in a situation when you acted assertively or how you felt when you acted assertively.

I just drew myself being assertive.

Draw How You Used To Be/How You Are Now

Instructions: Fold a large sheet of white drawing paper in half. On one half of the paper draw how you used to be (what you were like in the past – any age you choose). On the other half of the paper draw the way you are now (what you look like, feel like,what your life is like now, etc.).

This is just self-explanatory, don't you think?

Draw Your Barrier

Instructions: draw your barrier, meaning what is keeping you from achieving happiness, success, self-fulfillment, good mental health.

Disscussion: explore your barriers. Explore the size of the barrier, the strength of the barrier, when it was first built, how long it has been up, the difficulty or ease to tear it down, what it looks like, what it’s made of, how it makes you feel, etc.

My main barrier is the belief that I cannot cope with life. It has been raised throughout the years, gradually by my parents and society at large. I feel it is very difficult to tear down and I am looking for active ways in which I can achieve that. It makes me feel sad and depressed knowing that people who are less gifted than me don't have this belief which kinda makes them invincible. Oh, well. I guess I shall have to learn to live with my beliefs and challenge them when the proper time comes. 

Draw Your ”Ball and Chain”

Instructions: draw your ball and chain. What or who is keeping you from feeling happy and fulfilled.What is holding you down in life.

That's supposed to be Earth, meaning the entire world is keeping me down. 

Draw the First Time You Met Your Ex

Instructions: draw the circumstances that led up to meeting your ex. How did you feel at the time? 

The first time I met my ex I was on the street heading for the dorm. I saw him smoking while staring smilingly at me. I felt like prey, like I was eye fucked by a fuck boy. He proved later that he was a fuck boy. Everytime I see someone smoking around me I just wish I could make them swallow the cigarette. 

Straight Line Drawing

Instructions: create a picture using only straight lines.

Discussion/Goals: Discussion focuses on the artwork and the meaning of the design. Goals include problem solving, abstract thinking and focusing.

No particular meaning in this design. I just wanted to make something that resembles an optical illusion. Brings back memories of art classes. 

Drawing in Black

Instructions: create a picture (realistic or abstract) using only black marker or crayon.

Discussion/Goals: Discussion may focus on the design created, and feelings associated with the color black. Goals include self-expression and the exploration of feelings.

I kinda like black. It is mysterious and elegant. 

Draw How You Are Feeling Right Now

Instructions: draw your feelings at the present moment.

It ain't sunny, it ain't stormy, it's both.

Draw Your Energy

Instructions: draw your energy in any way you please.

Check out my bold colours aura.

Cloud Drawing

Instructions: draw a cloud and something underneath it.

Discussion: Discussion centers on both the cloud (its shape, size, color, and meaning for the artist), and the person or item under the cloud. Goals include exploration of mood and emotions. The size of the cloud may represent the degree of depression or fear you are currently feeling, and how overwhelmed you are by external forces.

I just think of clouds as puffy things in the sky. They sorta make me happy. The house represents my need for stability and the fact that I would like to build one out of my paycheck.

Draw With Your Eyes Closed

Instructions: draw a picture in any way you please with your eyes closed. 

Draw With Your Less Dominant Hand

Instructions: draw a picture with your less dominant hand. The picture can be realistic or abstract. 

Squiggle Design

Instructions: draw a scribble with your eyes open or closed. Have fun with it. Let your hands move however you want to. Look at the scribble from all angles. Look to see if there is any object in it that looks familiar or if you can find any part of it that attracts you. Color that part in and give the picture a title.

it's complicated.

Opposite Emotion

Instructions: (a little bit of DBT) Fold a piece of paper in half. On one side of the paper draw an emotion or action and on the other side the opposite emotion or action.

Discussion: Share the two emotions or actions and discuss the behaviors associated with them. Try to focus on the opposite emotion or action when you feel stressed, angry, or depressed. Discuss how “opposite action” can help individuals work through issues, confront situations, deal with distressing emotions, and engage in activities that they might otherwise avoid.

As usual I made a collage with images I found online. Although I don't encourage bottling up your authentic feelings sometimes accepting them might lead to feeling the opposite. In some cases not talking about your negative feelings makes them go away. Psychologists have a hard time establishing an accord on the matter. So every time I feel fear, sadness and anger I will accept them or think of things that make me feel the opposite emotion and then feel the respective opposite emotion.

Golden Egg

Instructions: Discuss the meaning of the golden egg. In yoga practices it often means being enlightened, the supreme highest self. One’s inner voice that is always calm and perfect, and connected to “the true self.” Next draw a golden egg or an enlightened figure/symbol of yourself.

Discussion: Discuss your associations to the egg and/or figure. Share the type, size, and color of the egg or symbol. Goals include self-awareness and exploration of ways to attain inner peace and knowledge.

I have drawn an egg which is similar to traditional Easter eggs in my country to help express my nationality and status. Nothing out of the ordinary, just bold colours on a grey background which goes to show the power of colour in fighting off depression.

Traffic Light

Instructions: Provide the outline of a typical traffic light (a vertical rectangle with three circles which will be colored red, yellow, and green) or have clients draw their own. Direct group members to filling the first circle red, the second yellow, and the third green. Next ask them to write or illustrate:

1.a goal/s next to the green circle

2. methods used to try to obtain the goal/s next to the yellow
circle

3. obstacles to achieving their goal/s next to the red circle.

Discussion: Examine each client’s aspirations and barriers to achieving them. Goals include problem solving and exploration of coping skills.

Power Thinking

Instructions: use lines and shapes to represent positive thoughts and healthy thinking (for example, being flexible, accepting change, being patient, taking one day at a time, accepting oneself, not filtering or catastrophizing, etc.).

Discussion: share your shapes and their “thinking strength.” Explore the importance of strengthening thinking in order to increase self-esteem, vigor, motivation, and hope.

 

 

 

 

You've got your dark line as a symbol of negative thinking and confusion and your yellow wheel as a symbol of how good it feels to identify errors in your thinking and correct them. Doing some virtual CBT has helped me become a more rational human being and realize thoughts are just thoughts, they don't make me who I am, although they hold a great power over my behaviour should they not be kept on a leash.

Rainbow Tree

Instructions: create your own unique “rainbow tree.” Think about what you would find at the end of the rainbow or at the top of the tree.

Discussion: Clients share the type of tree depicted and the way it might represent their hope for the future, and their present mood and attitude. Goals include exploration of mood and feeling, and a focus on optimism and positive thinking.

Here's my tree and at the end of the rainbow I can find the fruit of my labour of passion.