Spontaneous Pastels

Spontaneous Pastel Drawings to Clarify Feelings

 

Spontanous pastels are a meditative exploration of color, feeling and gesture. This is an exploration color, gesture and line to express a feeling inside. A good way to start a spontaneous pastel drawing is to feel into your body for any sense of unease or discomfort. If you cannot find any discomfort tune into where your body is feeling well-being or joy and set an intention for what you would like to understand about your life right now. 

 

A good reference for this kind of expressive drawing is Barbara Ganim and Susan Fox's book Visual Journaling.

 

If you want to draw your image for the day and set it aside for self-reflection at a later date go ahead or you could ask your drawing some questions.

 

Dialogue questions from the book Visual Journaling can profoundly increase your understanding of your drawings which I will share with your here. It is helpful to have a specific intention before you draw and then dialogue with your drawing to give a direction and meaningful structure for your spontaneity. You could ask for example, "What is this feeling in the pit of my stomach?"

 

After your drawing is finished imagine your drawing is coming alive and speaking to you. You are literally asking the deeper part of you, questions from your conscious mind.

 

Dialoguing with your Drawing

 

1.) As you look at your drawing, how does it make you feel? For example of the colors are dark and could you be feeling alone and isolated and shut down emotionally. If the drawing is playful and bright, is it telling you that you are feeling happy and full of fun. How do the colors make you feel?

 

2.) Is there anything in your drawing that disturbs you? If so what? Write a few sentences about why this part disturbs you.

 

3.) What do you like best about your drawing. Write a few sentences about how this part makes you feel.

 

4.) What have you learned from this drawing about how you feel?

 

5.) Are these emotions related to a particular current issue or concern? If so, what is it?

 

6.) Does knowing what you feel about this issue or concern help you deal with it? If so, how?

 

At the end of 30 days you will feel closer to understanding the nuances of your own feelings. Write me at expressiveart@yahoo.ca and tell me of your journey accompanied by an attachment of one of your drawings and I will send you the e-course The 10 Minute Collage for free.