Yesterday’s exercise: Do you suffer from technology overload? Are you nostalgic for a less “connected” stage of life when we relied more on real human interactions? Is there anything you can do to find a balance between the two worlds. Did you notice a connection in your timeline between improved technology and decreased human interactions?

Find some paper and a pen or pencil. This art exercise might take the form of a comic strip layout, or it might be  a long line at the bottom of the page. Think back to your first machine..maybe it was an Apple Macintosh if you are as old as me, maybe it was a cell phone or even a fax machine. Start there, add more of the machines you purchased as you travel along your time line. As you add each machine, think how this has improved your life, or made it more complicated. Most likely, this exercise will give you perspective on our current scenario.  Do you see a pattern of these machines improving or hindering your real human social interactions?

Yesterday’s project: Boundaries are a gigantic topic and our self-esteem is truly intertwined with how well we defend our boundaries. Although no one can define what an appropriate boundary is for you, when you cross the line you have set for yourself, the feeling is often one of shame and regret. This is true for physical, sexual, emotional and even verbal interactions. Occasionally if our boundaries are too high, we might be missing out on making authentic connections with people in our lives.  Were you able to recognize some areas of your life that need work on the topic of boundaries? Defending the boundary we set for ourselves always results in a feeling of pride and self-worth. We will revisit this topic again in this blog through other art directives.

The body outline serves as the boundary, and our experiment is to explore our physical, emotional, sexual, and/or verbal boundaries with the outside world. Try to pay attention to the feelings that come up as you focus on the interior and exterior of the body.  As you work, ask yourself some of these questions: Are you happy with your boundaries? Are they too high, not allowing others in? Are they too low, letting everyone in at the expense of harming yourself? What can you do to better defend your boundaries? Do you see a connection between your level of self-esteem and your level of personal boundaries? The topic of boundaries is a very large one which will be covered numerous times in this blog’s art exercises. Please check tomorrow’s blog for more questions to help you explore the artwork you created.

Yesterday’s blog: What does your tree look like? What season did you draw around this tree? Do you feel that your tree represents aspect of yourself?  Would you like to have deeper roots, or more extensive branches? Can you add anything to help this tree flourish in its current environment? Is your tree safe? Does your tree need other trees nearby?

A tree can be symbolic on many levels spanning cultures and much of human history as a motif used to represent people and societies. Drawing yourself as a tree can be a powerful exercise to describe personal things that are difficult to put into words. Putting this image away for a few days or weeks and then returning to it can often be insightful, as if reading a diary entry.

Yesterday’s exercise:  Were you able to take a risk and make a new social connection? How did it feel? Did creating the scenario and conversation on paper make it easier? Could you take more social risks this week to forge new bonds?

Yesterday’s project: Were you able to think of someone to forgive? Often carrying anger around can be detrimental to our mental health and a huge waste of energy. Forgiving a person essentially releases us from their power or control they have over us. This simple act can be a huge challenge, but in the end quite liberating. By holding on to the anger and resentment, this person whom you are angry at has power over you. Most likely that connection to this person is painful and letting go of the feelings will allow you to grow and move on.

Yesterday’s project: Did you find it easy or difficult to say goodbye to something negative in your life? Acknowledgment is the first step to letting go of something that might be harming you. Did you find the letter writing technique helpful?

Yesterday’s project: This was a challenging one. Where you able to “let go” and draw the rhythm of the beat? Congratulate yourself for trying, because an exercise such as this flies in the face of conventional and predictable drawing. Was this a relaxing activity or too stressful because it involved an improvisational element?

Yesterday’s Project: How is your inner critic? Is it preventing you from being more creative? Acknowledging that there is an inner critic to begin with is the first step to squelching it in its tracks.

Yesterday’s project: How does your tiny graffiti wall feel? Were you able to let go and free form “stuff” onto your page? Did you use more words or images? If you showed it to a friend, could they learn more about you? Did it convey any emotions? Did you find the process engaging and enjoyable?