Perhaps you feel like descending into the ocean and earth of your soul, observe or dance with the light and dark that you’ll find there, polish the gold that you may discover there, flirt and dance with your wilder fox or wolf woman or man. You might find the gift in your grief there. If you wish to, bring your gifts up to the surface, express them through the air and fire of your spirit.
I wish you openness, curiosity and ease while navigating the groundless land of the subconscious; and buoyancy in bringing it to the light…bon voyage.
Draw the figure of your inner child (it could be one of many!) with your non-dominant hand, which allows the subconscious mind to emerge in your art. Ask the “inner child”:. What is your name? (write the chosen name). How do you feel?. What can I do to make you feel really good?
It’s similar to taking yourself on an artist’s date (as proposed in “The Artist’s Way”). Collages are an easy way of self-expression and allows us to let go of self-judgement and perfectionism, for it doesn’t require an enormous amount of skill. To enhance the experience, focus on Intuitive collage, which surpasses the rational mind. Choose magazine imagery and colours that speak to you and your heart for a powerful expression of the subconscious and way of telling your unique story.
Ten minutes is all you need.
Collages also have a plethora of mental health benefits, helping to increase self-esteem, a sense of accomplishment and dopamine, the feel-good, anti-aging hormone that also stimulates new neuron growth.
This week, do a Who am I – collage. Don’t be afraid to show darker, shadowy parts of yourself so as to honour the real, “warts-and-all” version of self. You have to express the darkness for the light to come in.
National Geographic magazine has myriad images that can portray anxious, sad, angry, lonely parts of yourself.
Using a variety of magazines, be absorbed in the moment, in a meditative state, exploring all the nuanced layers of yourself.V Marguerite Black, from Somerset West, is an author and specialist wellness councillor with an honours in psychology and MA in creative writing. Author of The Dandelion Diary: The Tricky Art of Walking, she founded the NPO The Dandelion Initiative, which offers creative arts therapy, play therapy and trauma counselling to disadvantaged youth. Contact her at cmblack@mweb.co.za.
