and the opposite…
Art Prompt: Think about a recent time that you felt a negative emotion and a recent time that you felt the opposite emotion. Using bleeding tissue paper, create what each emotion looks like to you.
Materials: Bleeding tissue paper, watercolor paper, paint brushes, mod podge.
This prompt can be so therapeutic in the ripping of the tissue paper and the lack of control that you have over the image. Adding water under and on top of each piece of layered bleeding tissue paper will allow the material to stick to the paper, and allow the colors to spread and mix. After the tissue paper has somewhat dried, you can pull it up which will create a cleaner blended look. Or you can keep the tissue paper on and once it has fully dried you can seal it with Mod-Podge. I did both in the example image so create two types of “looks” that assisted me in the meaning I wanted to convey in my image.
To start, I thought about the last time I had a negative feeling. I thought about what was going on at that time in my life and how that negative feeling manifested itself in my body physically. Sitting with that memory and diving into that feeling, I selected hues of blues and purples that represented that memory to me. I ripped out one large piece as the core negative emotion at that time. The other shades of blues and purples represented emotions that I experienced simultaneously. After creating the negative emotion, I wanted to find colors to represent the transition into the positive emotion (yellow and teal). I felt that just doing one side negative and one side positive was not realistic in how I handled and grew from the situation that I was thinking about for this particular image. I felt that both emotions bled into the other, and I wanted to make that connection visual in my piece. When working with the colors that I selected for the “opposite” emotion, I allowed all of the colors to organically flow together. I added some of my opposite emotion to the section that represented the negative emotion, because I felt that even during that time I still felt positive emotions scattered and sprinkled throughout that time (and vice versa). For this piece I did not think much about the opposite or positive emotion, I thought more about the negative time and how I eventually stepped out of it. My emotions for this image were connected in the same event. I feel that my image represents a difficult time but the progression of feeling good: the light at the end of the tunnel.
Journal prompts for further exploration of the directive and/or image:
Explore more deeply into the time you felt the negative emotion, and the time that you felt the opposite to that negative emotion. What was going on in your life at that time that each emotion took place?
Think about your negative emotion and the memory linked to that time in your life, how did you notice that negative emotion in your body?
When selected your negative emotion, and the opposite, were both linked or did they happen at different times? Explore more deeply how each felt and how each emotion impacted your life at that time.
Tips:
I am vague in my description of my image for two reasons: A.) this is an example to help people see the progression and thought behind the process, B.) so that my image and description does not stifle your own creative exploration within this prompt.
Do not overthink the art directive. Jump into creating with your first thought and allow the image to form itself.
Explore the artwork when you’re completed and see what you notice in your colors, method, imagery. Sometimes you’ll have new insights once you’re finished creating.
Materials will be suggested, use whatever you have access to or materials you’d prefer.
Work as little or as long as you’d like.
Don’t create thinking of a product, focus solely on the process. This may not be something you’d like to hang on the wall and that is perfectly fine and often preferred 🙂
You may not always be able to reflect on your image and understand what it means. Sometimes just simply engaging in the art process is therapeutic enough.
While these directives are designed for deeper exploration of self, sometimes they may cause one to feel overwhelmed. These prompts should not replace therapy. If any of these prompts bring up unsafe emotions and you feel you are a danger to yourself or others, please call 911 or go to your nearest hospital.
