Often when we are in the midst of our healing process, we want clues that we are headed in the correct direction.   We know intellectually that we are working to heal ourselves and to change our belief codes.

However, what our intellect knows and what the rest of us feels can be at odds.   To gain a more concrete clue that our healing process is moving in the correct direction we might choose to turn to our box of oversized crayons - the same type we had when we were in kindergarten - and doodle our way to better health.

The basic art therapy process is simplicity itself:   While thinking about some aspect of ourselves that is in pain or needs more healing, we make a quickly scribbled sketch which we date on the back.    Then, some hours or days or weeks after, we make another of this very same area.    And we compare them.

I use this type of system in my facilitations with clients at times and it can be an absolute marvel to see how our subconscious both expresses the issue and then expresses a shift for the better.    It is usually very clear - thus giving a very visible validation that the healing process is moving in a good direction.    I like to combine the art with kinesthetic bodywork in between the 2 drawings for an unbeatable combination that we each can do easily ourselves and yet which is remarkably powerful in its healing effect.   I think these are so powerful a combination together because they allow our subconscious to bring its wealth to our process very proactively.

If you have tried all the usual ways of healing and find them too slow or totally lacking for your unique set of issues , please do give this a trial and let your subconscious do the healing job you require!   I have yet to see anyone who did not find this to be helpful - and sometimes it was the actual key that made all the other therapies come into focus better as well.

The Rules

To do art therapy of this type successfully there are rules to keep in mind. The first is that you need to use large crayons or Craypas or fat width markers. It is essential to have a bold graphic line to make these quick sketches. You want to also have no more than 10-12 colors to choose from.    This means you want all the basic color range plus perhaps 2 color shades of one color you particularly like, such as a light and dark blue. You could, however, easily just stick to one 6 pack of large crayons which are sold everywhere in stores.

The goal is to turn off your thinking mechanism and allow your subconscious to do the drawing. To do this you will allow yourself no more than one minute for the entire sketch - 30 seconds would be even better. This is not about refinement.   It is about the colors you choose, how much of the page those colors cover and very little else. You want to turn off thinking and logic.   Simply pick up the colors that call to you, make the scribbles you feel are right, and keep doing that until either one minute has gone by or until you feel you've covered it and are done.

Allow yourself no more than one minute to complete a sketch.    Our logic cannot effectively work within these tight time lines, but our subconscious absolutely shines with this type of split-second approach.

You need to use a sketch pad that is at least 8 by 11 for this so that you have room to really move your arm and hand for good, bold - and quick! - flow of expression.

Focus on an issue or area of your body:   Before you begin sketching, you will ask your conscious mind to do one thing for you only, which is to set up a platform upon which you will let your subconscious loose to draw.   You can make your focus as small as you like, such as the emotional layer of your little toe , or you can make it as large as you like - your overall momentum of healing for example.   There must BE a focus before you start scribbling and when next you draw another picture to compare them, it must be the very same focus. It is recommended that when you finish any drawing, you write the exact focus you used and the date - even the time of day if you plan to make another picture that same day after doing some kinesthetic bodywork or other type of healing work in between.

An Example

A set of drawings plus bodywork in between can be accomplished in less than 30 minutes.    Below I offer an example of such a short session that was very graciously allowed to be shared here.    Since this was done within a regular facilitation there are 2 sets of drawings, both mine and my clients'.    The focus for us that day was the Spirit layer of the Liver.

If you are not familiar with the various layers which make up each cell and organ of our body, please take a minute to glance at the tables in my Reports page.

The Focus for these drawings was the Spiritual layer of the Liver. :

The most visible aspect of this first drawing, done before any healing work, is the black scribble that looks just like it is the bars of a jail locking the rest of the picture down. The second most noticeable aspect is the large blob of red.   It is the only item that has made it outside of the black bar area and it is carrying 3 blue dots, which could be seen as seeds of healing.

Here is the second drawing, done immediately after approximately 20 minutes of kinesthetic bodywork.    Notice that the black "bars" are now off entirely.   The small blue dots have been given expression into an impressively large structure that seems to almost embrace the rest of the picture.    Also notice the lack of red, which can, especially for the liver, be an indication of repressed anger.  There is now more pink , which is a healthy tone of liver energy. And there is more yellow and it is more visible - a sunny color and a sign of hope/positive energy. At the same time in the shadowy scribbles within the blue figure you can see there is still that which must be worked on and released so all is not yet clear.

This second set of quick sketches were done by the facilitator while focused on the Spiritual layer of the Liver. :

Neither the client or facilitator were looking at each other while drawing these so it is interesting to note that, as with the first set above, black is the key color that overtakes the picture. Blue is squished into its place up in the left hand corner and a small dot of pink (healthy liver color) is enclosed within the black area.

In this second, post-bodywork picture, we see that pink has now expanded over the entire page. Black is gone entirely and yet, as with the picture above, we see that there is still a bit more to do. We can see that the green dot in the center is likely going to be working its way to the left hand corner where it can complete a full square with the others that are already in place. This lone green dot is nestled within a looping bubble of blue - perhaps the same blue that looked pinned to the upper left hand corner in the first picture.   In general you can note far more order/structure in this picture than the first. The lines loop and complete themselves, unlike the first picture where there are a lot of loose ends and it has a more chaotic feel overall.

Does this look far too simple?   Simple is exquisitely empowering for healing because it means we can each do this all on our own with excellent results.    I have seen art therapy work effortlessly and beautifully alongside other alternative therapies to unlock layers - like the spiritual layer - that are not easy to access through standard healing formats.

Questions? Comments?

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