Connecting with Myself through Drawings

I believe that each individual is naturally artistic, with their own palette of colours, strokes, shapes and patterns that are unique to their spirit. For me, connecting with myself and others through drawings seems to be a fun way, although I haven’t received formal training in drawing. It’s not about whether the presentation is ‘good’ or not; rather, it’s a journey of connecting, being and accepting oneself as we are. I wish to be attentive to my inner voice, allowing it to guide me in meeting my authentic state of being.

When expressing myself verbally, I’ve always struggled to find the ‘correct’ words, no matter in Mandarin, my mother tongue, or English. Gradually, I discovered that drawing provides a more natural way to tune in with myself, including my feelings, my inner child states and my ancestors. In my counselling practice, drawings can foster mutual understanding between me and my clients, particularly young children or individuals who prefer creative or less verbal interactions.

 

Connecting with the Present Feelings

Feelings can be expressed in different ways, not only through verbal words but also through drawings, gestures and body movements. While some feelings can be directly accessed through the thinking brain¹, or understood with the help of tools like the Feeling Wheel (Willcox, 1982), others are too complex and abstract to grasp consciously. Alternatively, they can be too intense to process through the thinking brain¹ immediately. In such cases, try to draw them out. The drawings don’t need to make sense; the act of drawing is good enough to connect with the feelings. In my experience, it’s the attunement in the right brain, between my emotions and creativity. Choose the colours and materials that feel comfortable to you at that moment, and see how your body guides you in expressing certain emotions.

This drawing (Drawing 2) was made after the relational distress I recently experienced. Sensing the activation in my body, I began to doodle on the paper using different coloured pencils at once. To further release my emotional tension, I applied big chunks of pink pastels over the doodle, which brought a sense of relief. Then I added lines and dots with oil pastels. Through this process, I felt a shift from distress to a more settled state.

 

Connecting with My Inner Child

I have always been curious and enthusiastic about understanding myself through my early experiences. For me, meeting the child part is not merely a conscious process, as past events may have been masked in my unconscious or have shaped certain patterns of my survival responses², for instance, fight, flight or freeze. However, with my journey of Sensorimotor Psychotherapy training, the child state seems to become more accessible to me. When tuning in with my inner states and integrating my cognition and emotions mindfully with my body, I have developed a more holistic self-understanding.

Sometimes, when I have a closer sense of my child states, including early adulthood, adolescence, childhood and fetalhood,  the feeling can be so strong that I need to draw them out, as if the closer connection deserves a more visual ritual to be seen and celebrated. Drawings 3 & 4 are examples illustrating the meetings with my inner child.

Encouraging Your Children to Express Feelings at Home

Here is a random drawing made by a child at home (Drawing 5). I believe that as they doodled and dotted with colours, a connection with themselves has already occurred. Feelings don’t always need to be verbalised. Instead, they can flow from the body, through art materials, and onto the paper. This process of expression can already be therapeutic and transformative.

In my counselling practice, some drawings are planned with specific themes and goals, which may require further exploration or interpretation. However, this level of structure is not necessary at home with our own kids. Children and young people face various internal and interpersonal struggles in their daily lives. When they return home after a long day, it would be beneficial for them to have a safe place to draw, without any comments or judgements and with different art materials ready to use. They may need some encouragement and a reminder – to make their safe drawing environment obvious and accessible. For younger children, it would be great to encourage them to express their feelings through drawings by modelling and creating your own artwork alongside them. This can become an attuning activity between you and your child, allowing each of you to individually connect with yourselves.

 

 

Ready to Start Connecting with Yourself?

1. 1. Prepare yourself by finding a quiet, non-interfering space. Gather a piece of paper and some art supplies that you can choose from later.
   2. Sit or stand comfortably in front of your paper and the art supplies.
   3. If comfortable, take a moment to sense your breath, or feel the support of the ground beneath your feet. Tune in with yourself, how is the weather like in your body?
   4. Browse through your art supplies and intuitively choose the one(s) you wish to use in the moment, and, DRAW! Let your hands guide you, no need for any plans ahead.
   5. Celebrate your creation! Remember, it’s not about making something ‘good’. Instead, it is a journey of connecting, being and accepting yourself as you are.

¹ The thinking brain refers to the functions of the prefrontal cortex. Please watch Dr. Dan Siegel explaining the Hand Model of the Brain at https://drdansiegel.com/hand-model-of-the-brain/

² The survival responses refer to Dr. Dan Siegel’s theories of hyper- or hypo-aroused responses and the Window of Tolerance. You can learn more about these theories at https://mi-psych.com.au/understanding-your-window-of-tolerance/

 

My Details

Name: Qing Xia (an integrative psychotherapeutic counsellor specialising in working with children and young people)

Website address: https://www.qxcounselling.com/

Email address: qingxiald@protonmail.com

 

References

Willcox, G. (1982). The Feeling Wheel: A Tool for Expanding Awareness of Emotions and Increasing Spontaneity and Intimacy. Transactional Analysis Journal, 12(4), 274-276. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1177/036215378201200411; Online resource of the Feeling Wheel is available at https://feelingswheel.com/ accessed on 14 March 2024