Archives

You may know it (or not) but I love the three books written by Anne-Marie Jobin, they’re really precious to me, and I love to offer one or the other.

It was for me the first step to the world of Creative Journaling and toward Art-therapy.

A few days ago, I made an exercise found in her last book, called  Fantasies & Gribouillis. Unluckily, her books are only in French right now.

We all have many personality traits (is that the right expression ? I didn’t find how to say that in English, so I may be wrong), they live together within us, and sometimes we have some personnalities that are opposite with one or several others.
Thanks to this exercise, we’ll explore these traits and make them a full-fledged character. Each one has its own characteristics.

We can, of course, go deeper, but we’ll talk about it an other day. And I know I didn’t embodied all my sub-personalities.

What is this exercise for:

It allows to develop the witness, to gain some distance toward all the roles we play, to discover the needs hidden under the different personality traits.

It’s a transforming and therapeutic exercise, but it also relaxes and brings some humour.

What you need:

• Your journal, or simply one or two papers
• Pencils and felts, in several colours

How to proceed:

First of all, it’s important to get relaxed. Take some time to let go all your worries (if you want, you can listen to music, light on a candle… or just sit in silence).

Think of all your sub-personalities, but also to what your body tells you, you personal dynamics etc.
Chose what catches your attention the most, et think if you can bring “life” to this via a character.

When you’re ready, describe or draw it. No need to be very beautiful, it can only be symbolic and very figurative: it’s up to you and what you want/can.

Around your characer, define it more precisely: what does he likes, what’s his name, what he desires, how does he occupy his time and so on.

Then, start a dialogue with your character: ask him how he arrived in your life, ask him all the questions you want. Don’t be affraid. Let him speak.

Feedback: How did the exercise affect you ? Did you learn something about the way you evolve in the world ? Write down your thoughts.

Some variations:

• Use your sub-personalities in the stories you write.
• Move and make your sub-personality play theatrically.
• Write the song of your sub-personality and sing it aloud.

So I drew some of my sub-personalities, the ones that spoke to me at that precise moment; I did it in my Creative Journal. I colored some but not entirely.

Then, I added the descriptions that came in my mind.

Because it was on a right-sided page, I didn’t have the place to write the dialogue close to the drawings. That’s why I did it on a page and attached it to the page thanks to black masking tape.

I don’t really like white pages, so i colored it with watercolor paint.

Et voilà 😀

It allowed me to understand some things that I didn’t want to admit…

Today is such a powerful day: both Wishcasting Wednesday and the Full Moon to celebrate (which means that I’ll spend some time to create a Dream Board: yeaaah).

Jamie asks us:  what do you want to make room for ? It’s a hard question !

At first, I thought I wanted to make room to more spontaneity in my life… But then, I wonder a bit more further and thought of an exercice I made in my Creative Journal a few months ago, about the fear of Success I have.

So today, I wish to make more room for Success in my life.

I stand back and realize that I really fear success, and what it can generate. I only see the negative side of it, despite of the fact that it’s not bad to experience success.

It’s so much easier to be overwhelmed by Fear than trying to dominate it, understand it, and let it go.

So today is a big day: I make room for Success in my life. I open my arms widely for it: I am ready to be successful in whatever I start 🙂

And I wish you, yes: you, let go off your fears and enjoy positivity of Success too.

A few days ago, I had the urge to scribble in my journal. Simple images that I had in mind, generally just drew with a pencil…

And then, she appeared… From where ? no idea ! But she wanted to be on my paper, so I agreed and let her out.

I was intimately convinced that I wasn’t able to draw a Whale… and finally, even if it’s far from perfection (i never was good to represent things as they really are in life); but we can see it’s a Whale and not a Dolphin (for example).

The sky is not painted purposely. No hidden reason, I just didn’t want to. As simple as that.

I love bringing words to my images, most of the time it’s just a title, a sentence that came to my mind while I was drawing, a part of a song…

When I finished it, I searched in the book Animal Speak, (book known thanks to Leah, who spoke about it a while ago), in order to know what Ted Andrews, the author, was saying about this sea mammal.

And then, obviously, it was the chock ! Whale reprends Creation (and a few other things such as concealment).

I let the page that faces the drawing blank, to write my thoughts about the Whale, later. Finally, I wrote down some quotes from the book, because I want to remember it and it speaks to me. Especially the question “Are you keeping everything in the inside and afraid to let it out ?” hmm no comment.

The author asks some good questions. Do I just mimick what others have already done, or do I “build upon it in new and dynamique ways” ?

He just points out what I hide. Oops !

If you are interested in Totem Animals, their symbols etc. I just can suggest you to buy or borrow this book.

So now, I’ll work on my fear to let out what’s inside of me. My creativity has to be pulled out concretely, and not to be remaining in my head. Not to please people, but because it’s a part of my life, of who I am and for my mental sanity it’s better if I stop to restrain it as if it’s a shame.

As I told you recently, time allowed me to deal with both sides of me which constantly battled. Maybe these both faces of myself have a deeper explanation, I’ll figure this out later.

I know (and I’m sure you know it too) that no one is absolutely white nor black. Whereas something unhealthy is underlying behind this facade (opinion strictly subjective).

Some days, I just feel overwhelmed under negative feelings, under doubt. Today, I know that it’s temporary. I don’t fight as I used to in the past: I know it would be vain; I know it’s there, I feel it, I live it, and I just wait for it to leave me, because I know it’s ephemeral.

In introspect, I think that the essential face, nonetheless for me, is acceptation. When this step is crossed, tests are still painful but more easily comprehended.
However, it’s very difficult to accept.

Acceptance doesn’t mean fate or defeat.  No No and triple No !

It’s a really important and strong lesson in Buddhism: Acceptance is one of the key to the end of suffering (I cut it grossly).

Duality is part of Life, every single thing has its opposite.
What would be God without Satan ? 😉
Would we appreciate the warmth of the Sun without the chill of Night ?

We, Humans, are not an exception, aren’t we ?

Today, it’s not really a wish but Jamie asks us: What do you want to tell the World ?

It’s rushing in my head… I realize that finally I have a lot to say to the World (more than I thought). From the simplest things to more complicated ones.

Currently, I would particulary like to say to people: don’t worry about what others say and think about you because no one knows you better than you do. Follow your heart, go where ever it wants you to go; even if it seems weird, surreal, totally crazy. So what ?

Follow Your Heart, Art Journal June 2009

Listening to its heart is something more difficult that it seems, because we have to identify its particular voice. This little voice that is hidden behind Reason, Fear, Desire and all the other voices that are more or less there depending on the moment.

But when you have learned to recognize her, don’t be affraid anymore: follow her anywhere shed guides you…