Leonardo da Vinci —

“All our knowledge has its origin in our perceptions.”

#2) Creativity Inspiration/Prompt for the week:

Listening to Yourself

This activity keeps track of your thoughts or internal dialogue as you create. Thoughts are thoughts, learn to recognize them without judgment. Notice doubts, ideas, frustration, and critical comments without allowing them to interfere with your creative adventure. Just notice what comes up without giving it too much of your energy.

Try this:

  • Choose a creative activity that you find challenging or try one you enjoyed in the past, using an unfamiliar medium.

  • Be aware of both the activity and your thoughts as you create.

  • What are you telling yourself in the process?

  • Try to record these comments - Say the thoughts out loud into a recording device. Try not to edit yourself, just way what you are thinking as you continue to create.

  • Keep working this way until you feel your creation is complete.

  • REPEAT . . . Take a few deep breaths, relax, and then do the activity again.

  • Now when the inner commentary starts, continue creating without verbalizing or following the thought. Instead reconnect with your body in the act of making.

  • If emotions, arise, feel the physical sensations in o your body, then return your attention to your materials and the creative process.

  • When you are done, look at both creations and listen to the recorded thoughts. Examine what happened as a curious observer.

What did you discover?

This is an opportunity to notice and be curious about who you are and understand what you want.

  • What did you learn?

  • Is there a difference between the two creations? If so, what?

  • What emotions and sensations arose with each activity?

  • Write down any other thoughts or insights.

Resource: Be, Awake, Create by Rebekah Younger, MFA (pp. 43-45)

For more information about art as a method to recover from anxiety, trauma, grief, depression, and more go to —
ART and RECOVERY PAGE

#1) Creative Inspiration/Prompt for the week:

Limitless Perceptions

When you are open and curious, you’ll find that your perceptions are limitless. There are a multitude of sense perceptions in any given moment: sounds, sights, smells, and so on. We are the ones who stop looking because we think we already know something. As the adage goes, “I know it like the back of my hand.” Let’s take another look at that part of our body we think we know so well.

  • Look at your nondominant hand. What do you see?

  • Look with an open, curious mind, as if you had never seen it before.

  • Notice all the colors, shapes, lines, textures, and shadows.

  • Look for at least 5 minutes. The more you look, the more you see.

  • Add touch, smell, and taste to your investigation.

  • From your exploration, make a creation — visual, written, musical, or in movement — based on your observations.

What did you discover?

Each observation provides more detailed information about your hand. Eventually, you may reach a point where words drop away altogether and you just see its unique is-ness. As the title of artist Robert Irwin’s biography suggests, “Seeing Is Forgetting the Name of the Thing One Sees.” With that level of attention, an intimacy develops between you and the object.

Resource: Be, Awake, Create by Rebekah Younger, MFA (pp. 54-55)