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Expressive
Therapies:
A Journey
to the Center of Your Soul
by LuAnn Pierce, MSW, LMSW |
Let’s take a journey
today, to the center of your soul. We will be visiting
your physical, emotional and intellectual natures, as
well. On the journey, you will need an openness and
willingness to explore your inner being, and to suspend
judgment of your work and journey. You will need to
bring music: a new piece or one that you seldom hear.
The other items you will need for the journey are your
choice of art supplies, either paints, pastels, pens,
pencils or brushes, and paper or canvas. When you are
packed, join us for departure.
Let’s begin by getting still
and being present...in the moment. Sit quietly as you
become aware of your breathing and the sound of your
heartbeat. Breathe deeply from your belly. When you feel
centered, quietly begin to play the music; play it
loudly or use headphones. Feel it resonate in your body.
As you listen to the piece, close your eyes and begin to
draw (or paint) what you hear; place no limits on your
experience. Draw with your non-dominant hand. Allow
yourself to be free...move and sway as you draw, letting
your body feel the rhythms and beat. Let your hand glide
over the page; use strokes that represent the feeling
you have with each note. If necessary, play the piece a
second time to complete your work. When you feel you
have completed the drawing, stop the music and sit
silently for a minute or so. Concentrate on the music
and how your body is feeling. Naturally allow yourself
to come back to the awareness of your present
surroundings. Quietly gather your bags for the next leg
of your journey.
The next phase of our journey
entails writing. Silently get a pen and paper from your
supplies, and settle in to reflect on what you have
drawn. As you consider this drawing (or painting) begin
to write words randomly that describe your work. Write
these in a circular form, spiraling up or down the page,
or around the margins. Don’t edit your writing or
thoughts, simply write the words that come to mind.
Write anything that comes to mind as you thoughtfully
reflect on the drawing and your inner process. When your
mind is blank, wait a couple of minutes to see if other
thoughts come up; if so, write down one word that
describes your thoughts. Don’t analyze the work,
simply recognize your process and tune in to the
feelings you experience as you continue your journey.
Using the words that you have
written develop them into a poem. Work with the words to
make them fluid, expressive and thoughtful. Use as many
words as possible in your poetry. Focus on your
experience, giving it voice. Spend as much time as you
want on this leg of the journey. Suspend all judgments
and analysis of the words and verses as they form
thoughts. Recognize that you are writing about your
feelings and process, to be judged by none.
As we approach the end of our
journey, think of a trusted friend with whom you can
share your work. Consider people based on their ability
to silently witness your work and comment only on what
they feel or see when viewing your work. Their comments
should be limited to "I notice you . . ." or
"I feel . . . when I look at this piece." The
comments should be about what they actually see on the
paper or canvas, such as "I notice you use many
bright colors." Or what they feel when they view
your work, such as "I feel uplifted when I look at
your work." Again, they should not analyze the work
or speculate on your process. Choose this person based
on their ability to be present, non-judgmental, and
supportive. As you sit quietly together, ask her/him to
comment on what s/he feels or sees. Silently acknowledge
their observations and feelings.
Allow the comments to linger in
the air as you sit silently and reflect on the
experience. Continue by asking your partner to listen as
you share your poem about your artwork. The actual
reading of the poem brings the feelings you experienced
throughout your journey to life. Speaking aloud your
feelings and thoughts about your process gives them
voice, making them part of your reality. As you speak
your truth, your witness should silently listen. When
you finish reading the poem, sit quietly while you
experience the silent support of your witness as s/he
affirms your experience without further analysis. You
may choose to share your feelings in the moment as you
sit quietly, peacefully.
On the final leg of our journey
you may wish to express your feelings from this
experience through movement or dance. Ask your witness
to share your experience by watching silently as you
move about the room. Let your body flow and bend. Glide
across the floor or jump and stomp as you express
yourself. Spend as little or as much time as you choose
moving these feelings through your body. Stretch, spin
and move your body as you work out these feelings. When
you have completed your movement, sit silently. Ask your
witness to quietly draw (or paint) what s/he observed as
you moved throughout the room. This quick sketch is a
concrete way to affirm your process. Keep the drawing to
remind you of your journey, as a snapshot, if you will,
of your process. Frame your photograph, or display it
somewhere to trigger these feelings at a later time.
As our journey draws to a
close, I wish you well. I hope you will visit again,
daily if you’d like. As a continuation of your
experience, you may include your works on my website and
join the worldwide collective experience of creativity
at CommonSpace at www.commonspace.homestead.com.
The site launches August 1, 2000 in conjunction with the
publication of this article. You are invited to drop by
at anytime, to witness the work of others, or to share
your experiences. I hope to see you soon!
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For all the artists out there, download this
drawing and add your own twist to it. When you complete your part, email the changes to
luannpierce@homestead.com and I will
upload the new pieces to the website for others to work on. Poets and writers, please follow this link and add your thoughts to
any or all of the poems, or start a poem, story, song, etc. of your own for others to contribute
to: http://www.commonspace.homestead.com
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©Copyright 2000 LuAnn
Pierce
LuAnn Pierce is a licensed
social worker, therapist, trainer and writer. LuAnn has
worked with children, adolescents, families and
individuals for 15 years. She uses expressive therapy
techniques in her practice for an added dimension that
appeals to people of all ages. LuAnn has written
extensively about parenting and childhood development.
She has worked as the Teen Editor with Self Help and
Psychology Magazine (www.shpm.com)
where much of her work is published online. LuAnn is
opening a new practice in the southeast region of the
US. She continues to study expressive arts therapy and
practices traditional and non-traditional therapy in
private practice. She also works with battered women and
their children through her efforts at the local domestic
violence agency. You may reach her through her website,
CommonSpace, at www.commonspace.homestead.com
or by telephone at 803-748-7403.
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