A few postings back, we talked about the value of drawing as
a method to make thoughts visible.
Doodling is one of the ways which enable the right brain the freedom to
express itself. It’s a truly awful paraphrase, but
“A doodle a day is the right brain way.”
The little sketches, done regularly, are like doing scales for a
musician, or stretching for a jogger, or warm-ups for a dancer. It’s a way to stimulate the creative powers
of the right brain, and let it be free to contribute fresh input to your creative writing
or art projects.
It works well not to form preconceived expectations, not to
have a particular goal (like a picture you already envision - that's for later), but instead to
take a small piece of paper and just make some lines and marks on it
anywhere. At this point in my journaling
class, people look at me and say something like, “What kind of marks?” or “Where
do I make them?” And they get a very
confused or disgruntled expression when I respond, “That’s a personal choice
you get to make.” Then the room gets
quiet, each thinking in his or her own mental world. The mental gears start to creak – in the
beginning thinking this way is totally new territory. It takes courage to just let go and take a
new path into unknown territory.
At Cornerhouse we’ve explored several small start-up activities lately –
the last one being “Take a Line for a Walk” – an activity which tells a story using one
simple line. This time let’s do it again
– “Take a Line for a Walk” but try something a little more challenging.
Activity: “Take a Line For a Walk on the Wild Side:” As you draw a line, let it a story to you
about what sort of things the line is doing and what is
happening to it. Let it have a life of
its own. This is a reversal of the usual
assignment. Usually you already know
what you want to do, and you draw the line(s) to match that.. Instead, this time, the line forms first and
tells its story back to you. When you are done, record the
story again in words and language below the line drawing.
It’s a good idea to keep your drawings, both those
you’ve done before, and each of the new ones, and from time to time, take a
look at your previous works. It’s
surprising how concepts and projects develop over time in ways you never expect. Our own brain can surprise us.
Some Words of Encouragement:
+ “Any step of the journey IS the journey.”
[Proverb]
+ “The trail is the thing, not the end of the
trail.” [Louis L’Amour]
+
“Some experiences simply do not translate. You have to go to know.” [Kobi Yamada]
+ “I
haven’t a clue how my story will end, but that’s all right.” [Nancy Willard]
+
“My favorite thing is to go where I’ve never been.” [Diane Arbus]
