Unconscious Art

Necessary wisdom

This is the first “Identity Focus Technique” we will explore and it is particularly useful for discovering the way we see ourselves.

Drawing, painting, sculpture, poetry, soundscapes and in fact any creative art form can be an effective way of both revealing and expressing how we see ourselves - especially when we try to remove our conscious minds from the process. Whenever we become absorbed in the process of creating a work of art, we allow our unconscious minds to influence subtly the outcome of our work. The key is to “be absorbed” for it is during the moments of absorption that our conscious mind gets out of the way and allows the creative process to continue uninterrupted. It is also during such moments that particular symbols and themes from our unconscious may find expression in our creation. It does not always occur, or the influence may be ever so subtle, but the chance of this happening increases whenever we move into this “zone” of absorbed creativity. Many creators of all kinds of art works experience surprise when they look back at their own art pieces years after their creation and discover meaningful patterns, symbols and motifs that had not been consciously intended.

The simplest way to discover these hidden meanings is to launch yourself into the creation of a range of abstract art works in whatever art mediums that interest you. Abstract art, music or dance is probably more conducive to unconscious influence than realistic creations.

To effectively lose ourselves in art, it is important that we do not worry about how “good” our work is, or whether it looks or sounds like what we started to create.

We can increase the likelihood of unconscious influence in our works by following this approach to creation:

*         Take some time to reflect quietly on a specific question such as, “Who am I?”, “How do I really see myself”, “What really interests me?” or “What are the growing edges of my life right now?” After this time of reflection, move into creation mode.

*         With art, writing materials or instruments ready, simply close your eyes and become aware of the images, shapes, colours, ideas, words, or sounds that come into your mind or appear before your eyes, and then quickly try to capture those ideas in your creation without thinking about what they mean. With some shapes, words or sounds in place, you can then simply add to them with whatever further ideas come into your mind. The secret is to consciously turn off from the process and go with the flow.

*         Once you run out of the urge to add shapes, words, colour or sounds, you can then sit back and reflect on the statements made by the piece. The piece may or may not directly relate to your prior reflections.

The “Unconscious Art” technique does not only apply to the question of understanding how we see ourselves. It can be used to express our response to any question or issue or simply for fun. It is a particularly useful technique for displaying and responding to the important symbols in our life. It can also be used, with professional counselling, to help us express and deal with disturbing memories or worries.

 Creative responses

CREATIVE RESPONSE (SU): Use the “Unconscious Art” approach to draw a symbolic picture of yourself and reflect on the identity elements in the picture.

*         If using a Thematic Journal, complete this activity on the left hand page of your identity chart in the “Identity Documents” section. Ensure that you have some coloured pastels, felt tip pens or pencils ready for the activity.

*         If using a computer, open up some drawing software that allows you to add colours and freehand shapes.

*         Briefly reflect on the question, “How do I see myself at this moment in my life?”

*         Close your eyes and become aware of the shapes, symbols, and ideas that come to mind as you ask the question.

*         Using the full area of your workspace, draw a symbolic picture of yourself as you see yourself now in your life. The quality of the drawing is not important, and you should plan to spend no more than fifteen minutes on the drawing. The important thing is to get some immediate impressions of you now. The drawing can be a combination of shapes and squiggles as long as those shapes and squiggles speak for you. There are absolutely no rules, but over the years, I have seen people start their drawings in the following ways:

-          One young woman who was into classical music in a big way started by drawing a square with music lines and notes on it - this woman assumed other people thought she was “square” because of her music.

-          Another young man started with a cartoon figure with a very large head because he felt he was “living” in his head most of the time.

-          Another student drew a football field because his life was dominated by playing football and following his favourite football teams.

-          A teenage girl drew a collection of jagged lines heading off in all directions - she felt frustrated with her life because it seemed to be going in all directions and this was making her feel she had lots of jagged edges and was someone who was hard to live with.

-          A caring woman drew two outreaching hands because she saw herself as a “carer”.

*         Once you have a basic shape, add other symbols, colours and shapes to represent some of the aspects of your current life. The key is to draw what immediately comes to mind and avoid thinking about it for too long.

*         Once you complete your drawing, share it with at least one other person and ask them to suggest what identity elements come to mind as they look at the picture. It is important that you do not respond to your partner’s suggestions in any way until they have completely finished their analysis of your picture - they need to say what they see without any feed - back from you.

*         Once your partner has completed their response, you can compare notes - how much of what they saw was what came to mind as you drew your picture? Did they see things you did not intend?

From this discussion, add three or four identity elements to your identity chart. Remember the format for an identity element is a statement that completes the sentence, “This is someone who…” e.g. “is a fanatical football supporter” etc.