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Energy In The Edit
Drawing new meaning from what already exists, we tap into a fresh creative source.
CREATIVE SELF-CARE
Our subconscious mind is a treasure trove of suppressed thoughts and emotions and accessing it can be deeply healing. It can lead to discoveries around experiences, traumas, and memories. When we are in-tune with our innate creativity, we have the ability to open up pathways that will connect us to this part of the mind that is not fully aware, but which influences all of our actions and feelings.
Evening Ritual
Bring your day to a close with an energy-shifting exercise. Have your sketchbook nearby. Sit and allow your breath to settle into its natural rhythm. On an inhale, draw a simple line up the page. Without lifting your pen, curve the line down on your exhale. Continue these upstrokes and downstrokes in connection to your breath across the page of your sketchbook. You will notice the downstrokes begin to get longer and longer. This is a sign that you’re relaxing.
Mistakes are the Portal of Discovery.
— James Joyce
MONTHLY THERAPEUTIC ACTIVITY BLACK-OUT POETRY
In the therapeutic activity below, we use the process of editing someone else’s written work to reveal what may be difficult for us to put into our own words. Through art-making, we’re able to activate the flow state of mind and open up space for more innocent moments of awareness to emerge. This process is empowering and liberating. Our goal is to stay curious and playful as the subtleties of our subconscious mind come to the surface
Giving yourself the space for simple creative expression may result in surprising effects. The activity below was designed to tap into your subconscious and stretch your creativity. Fresh ideas, solutions to nagging quandaries, or feelings of peace or freedom have been known to arise.
Materials: Thrifted book, old magazine, or newspaper, sharpie, fine-point pen.
Set your space: Set aside 2-3 hours to fully engage with the activity. Spritz your room with Sanctuary Spray (see below) and take several slow, centering breaths to connect to your core self.
Choose a page or article and scan over it loosely with your eyes. Pay little attention to content or story. Don’t become influenced by the original author’s work. You’re creating something uniquely your own. This is where trusting your intuition comes into play.
Underline or put boxes around words that resonate with you.
As you continue, a narrative could start to appear on the page. Big words such as nouns, verbs, and adjectives may be all that you choose in this first pass.
Tie these big words to little words, like “the”, “is”, or “of” to move the narrative along. Don’t over analyze.
Swipe your sharpie across all the words that weren’t selected so that they are blacked-out. Your chosen words should be the only ones that remain legible.
Read the words that aren’t blocked out as they flow down the page. Reflect on any hidden meaning or untold truths that bubble up from your subconscious during the editing process.
Reflect on this process as well as the outcome. This methodical practice can be transformative. Close your eyes, and acknowledge what you’ve created. Place your blacked-out page in your sketchbook and jot down your reflections next to your art piece.
Refine your connection to the subconscious mind ⎯
CULTURAL INSIGHTS
Laina Miller is an Artist, Creative Wellness Consultant, and Social Emotional Arts Instructor. All viewpoints and activities expressed were generated from personal and professional experience and bolstered by favorite mentors, readings, and teachers. The aforementioned have been cited whenever possible. For additional support, please reach out to a trusted mental health advisor.
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